Story updated March 19 at 4:15 p.m. to include cancelation of events and closures.

All city facilities will be closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a press release by the city of Ames. 

The city of Ames will discontinue all tours starting within its facilities March 16 through April 3, and the Ames Public Library has announced it will be closed March 17 through May 15. 

“We regret this temporary disruption, but are confident everyone will understand these actions are geared to helping protect the health and safety of our citizens and continuing to provide essential City services to the public,” said Ames Mayor John Haila in a statement.  

Additionally, Ames Parks and Recreation classes will be canceled March 16 through May 15. The Ames City Auditorium, Ames Community Center, Ames and Iowa State Ice Arena, Ames Dog Park and Municipal Pool will also be closed.

CyRide also sent out a tweet which said they encourage all riders to use the back door to get on and off the bus. The front door will be available to those who cannot safely board through the back, no fares will be collected for the time being. 

City Hall will be closed to the public starting at 5 p.m. March 19 through May 15. During the regularly scheduled City Council, city board and commission meetings, City Hall will be open. 

The meetings will also be live streamed through Channel 12 or online through the city’s website.

The city board meetings, commission meetings and the City Council meetings will be open, though city staff are looking for options to move meetings to a conference call format. City officials will review the situation at the end of this period and determine whether to extend this decision. 

“So for the time being city council meetings are not impacted by this decision that this information outlined in the press release,” said Assistant City Manager Brian Phillips. “People are still welcome to come to city council meeting, we may take some additional precautions at city council meetings […] Anybody who is interested in coming to a meeting, we welcome them to wash their hands. They come in the building and wash their hands as they go out. If they are sick, just like any other day we encourage them to stay home.”

The Ames Animal Shelter will also be closed for tours March 16 through May 15. Residents can look online for animals up for adoption  and schedule an appointment. 

Several events including Ames Film Festival brainstorming meeting, March 25, EcoChat, scheduled to begin March 30, Chad Pregracke lecture, scheduled for April 21 and the EcoFair, scheduled to be April 25, are all canceled. 

The steps taken are an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, according to the press release, for the medical system to be fully functional and not overwhelmed. Haila said the city is working with its local partners to develop a plan for the impact of COVID-19 within the community. 

“Two weeks ago, we never could have imagined how the lives of everyone in our country would be altered by COVID-19,” Haila said. “The city of Ames is not immune from this situation. I can assure you that the city is doing everything possible to deal with this crisis. However, each of us must be prepared to incorporate increased precautions into our everyday actions by following the advice of our medical experts: wash your hands frequently, adhere to social distancing, and stay home if you are sick.”

The city may implement new changes in services and it is recommended by the mayor to follow information sent by public health authorities. 

“We’ll be looking at what kind of information is available from public health authorities about whether the virus has entered the community, whether there there is community spread of the virus,” Phillips said. “[…] I think it’s fair to say that these kinds of steps that we have outlined in the release, are the kinds of steps being taken all across the country right now. They’re very preliminary and basic steps, though, as we get more and more information, able to better plan how we are proceed in the coming weeks.” 

The city will post more updates on its website.