Update for July 2

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Message from Helen Robbins-Meyer, Chief Administrative Officer

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You’re probably aware we’ve seen several discouraging trends recently in tracking COVID-19 activity in our region. Cases have shown big jumps. Hospitalizations are up. We’ve hit several of our “triggers” for modifying the health order. In response, we’ve closed bars that don’t serve food and directed restaurants to shut at 10 p.m.

We’ve also had an increase in the number of County employees testing positive. The percentage of our total workforce is very low, but it’s still a cause for concern.

Because of these external and internal trends, we’re pulling back on the opening of County facilities. We were planning to reopen library branches Monday, but we’re putting that on hold. We’re also going to close offices at the County Administration Center to most public services. That includes the Treasurer/Tax Collector and the Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk. They’ll be open today, then close the rest of July. We’ll see what the trends are like at the end of the month before deciding whether to reopen again

We’re also asking nonessential employees to continue to telework as much as possible and pausing any additional reopenings to the public.

It’s frustrating to take a step back, but the numbers show this virus remains a growing health threat. We’ll have an ongoing balancing act between wanting to reopen and taking prudent steps to protect the public’s and our employees’ health.   

We can all help stem the increase by taking the measures we’ve been talking about all along. Wash your hands. Wear a face covering – evidence continues to grow showing their effectiveness. Maintain social distancing. We can’t stress enough that gatherings with others outside your household are still not allowed. That means no inviting people over for backyard barbecues or big beach get-togethers on Fourth of July. I hate to come around every holiday with that same message, but it still holds true. This virus passes from one person to another, so the best way to stop the spread is to stay apart.

I thank all our staff directly involved with the COVID response who will stay busy in that effort over the long Independence Day weekend. I hope the rest of you will enjoy the holiday and celebrate safely.