Courthouse Closed Until Mon., July 20 Due to Positive COVID-19 Case

Western Judicial Circuit Superior Court Chief Judge Eric Norris has issued an order declaring a judicial emergency and the immediate closure of the Athens-Clarke County Courthouse until Monday, July 20 at 8:00 a.m.

The closure is due to a Sheriff’s Deputy working regularly in the Athens-Clarke County Courthouse who has tested positive for COVID-19. In response, ACCGov staff will coordinate a thorough cleaning of the courthouse.

The courts shall remain minimally open to address essential functions, and in particular to give priority to matters necessary to protect health, safety, and liberty of individuals as outlined in the Supreme Court of Georgia’s March 14, 2020 Order Declaring Statewide Judicial Emergency and subsequent orders.

Read a PDF of the full order.

Governor's Executive Order for July 16-31

The 41-page July 15 Executive Order from Governor Kemp continues to require social distancing, bans gatherings of more than 50 people unless there is six feet between each person, outlines mandatory criteria for businesses, and requires sheltering in place for those living in long-term care facilities and the medically fragile. The order runs through 11:59 p.m. on July 31, 2020. 

Read a PDF of the full order.

1,045 Positive Cases Confirmed in Athens-Clarke County, 15 Deaths

The state Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) case tracker (https://dph.georgia.gov/covid-19-daily-status-report) confirms 1,045 positive cases of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Athens-Clarke County with 15 deaths as of 3:00 p.m. on July 15.

These are cumulative cases total since February 25, 2020. For reference, numbers from the beginning of each month:

• July 1 - 574
• June 1 - 293
• May 1 - 155
• April 1 - 54
• March 1 - 4

The Daily Status Report is now updated once daily at 3:00 p.m. to allow time to process and validate laboratory and case reports. If you view the data, please be sure to check the area showing the definitions of the information presented. Some, such as "hospitalizations," have different meanings than what may be expected.

The 15 people who have died were ages 60-98. Eleven of those deaths occurred at a long-term care facility during March and April. For a daily report on long-term health care facilities in the state, visit the Georgia Department of Community Health’s website at dch.georgia.gov.

Older adults and people who have severe underlying medical conditions such as heart or lung disease or diabetes are at higher risk for developing more serious complications from COVID-19 and should always consult their healthcare provider if they are sick.