Sunday, March 22 Update

Athens-Clarke County Closing Workstations & Providing Telecommuting During March 23-27

All Athens-Clarke County Unified Government (ACCGov) departments and offices will operate under a modified closed workstations model the week of March 23-27 to continue to minimize interactions between employees and the public and slow the spread of coronavirus COVID-19 in the community.

Most non-emergency ACCGov staff will not report to their office locations and most ACCGov buildings will generally be closed to the public. Some buildings such as the Courthouse will allow entry for certain essential judicial functions, while some departments will schedule appointments for essential activities while maintaining social distancing.

Many non-emergency staff will telecommute remotely during the week in order to answer questions and provide services remotely over the phone or online. Other staff will work in shifts on alternating days and maintain social distancing. In most offices, residents will be able to speak with staff directly even though offices are closed.

ACCGov will continue to provide essential services such as public safety, emergency response, certain judicial functions, trash collection, and water and sewer services. Most services and programs are curtailed or suspended temporarily until emergency and public health officials provide guidance as to appropriate times to restore them.

Transit services will be provided on a limited service weekend schedule from approximately 7:30 a.m. until 9:45 p.m. daily. Lift Demand Response services will operate only for medically essential needs. Transit services will be fare free with a one round trip rule and have several social distancing restrictions in place. Youth riders under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

“We have to provide vital services to the community now and also ensure that we have continuity of operations weeks and months down the road,” said Manager Blaine Williams. “Using technology, our departments have looked for ways to continue as much service delivery as possible for residents while safeguarding the health of our workforce and limit the risk of transmission.”

Residents are encouraged to call departments and offices - a list of phone numbers is available through www.accgov.com/directory - or visit department webpages at www.accgov.com instead of visiting ACCGov offices to see if services or information will be unavailable and which services will be provided online and over the phone.

Information on ACCGov’s COVID-19 responses and resources will continue to be provided through www.accgov.com/coronavirus, social media, and a subscribeable email and text newsletter available at the website.

10 Positive Cases Confirmed in Athens-Clarke County

The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) case tracker (https://dph.georgia.gov/covid-19-daily-status-report) is now updated daily at noon and 7:00 p.m. As of March 22 at 7:00 p.m., the Georgia Department of Public Health has confirmed a total of 10 positive cases of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Athens-Clarke County.

The Northeast Health District Epidemiology team is working to identify and notify any close contacts who may have been exposed to COVID-19. The Northeast Health District will no longer be releasing information for each individual case.

Athens-Clarke County is Under a Local Emergency Declaration Until April 7 - Mandatory Shelter-in-Place & Business Restrictions

Until April 7, 2020, unless extended:

residents are required to shelter-in-place 24/7 aside from essential activities, essential governmental functions, or to operate essential businesses (as defined in the ordinance);
businesses, except essential businesses and those operating and maintaining essential infrastructure, must cease all activities except minimum basic operations (as defined in the ordinance);
all public and private gatherings outside of a household or living unit, except for limited purposes, are prohibited;
travel, except essential travel and essential activities, is prohibited;
"social distancing" is required to the maximum extent possible when outdoors or using shared spaces, which includes maintaining a six-foot distance from others, washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds as frequently as possible or using hand sanitizer, covering coughs and sneezes, regularly cleaning high-touch surfaces, and not shaking hands;

For full details, including definitions and exceptions, read the final approved ordinance.

A list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the declaration is available at www.accgov.com/coronavirus.

Information Sources

The response to COVID-19 involves both rapid and extensive changes and also deliberate measures that take some time to consider.

Once official information is released from the Georgia Department of Public Health, the Northeast Georgia Health District, the State of Georgia government, or other local partners, we will report it on www.accgov.com/coronavirus and social media.

Additionally, this COVID-19 update newsletter will go out at least daily with new information primarily about the ACCGov response and plans. It may also include some local area information of note as space allows.