BREAKING: Watertown City Council orders business closures due to COVID-19 pandemic (Audio)

March 23, 2020
Mike Tanner

WATERTOWN, S.D.—Many Watertown businesses will be closed or see their sales activities curtailed as a result of action taken by the Watertown City Council Monday.

The steps are being taken to slow the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic that is sweeping the world.

Councilman Adam Lalim spoke of how bars and restaurants will be impacted—starting Thursday at 12:01 a.m…..

Bars and restaurants can still offer take-out orders and curbside pickup—but no dining in at any Watertown restaurants starting Thursday.

It’s not just bars and restaurants that will be impacted. Other non-essential businesses will have to close….

Watertown’s manufacturing business will NOT be impacted by this vote. 

The decisions were made in a closed-door executive session during a special city council meeting Monday afternoon.

South Dakota has 28 COVID-19 cases.

Governor Kristi Noem says models don’t show the state’s cases peaking until May or even June. Before it’s over, she says up to 30-percent of South Dakotans could be stricken by the virus.