Walker County officials said county centers will be closed due to the coronavirus and juries will be discontinued for a month for counties that also include Catoosa, Chattooga and Dade.
Centers to be closed include the Civic Center, the Agricultural Center, the Senior Center at LaFayette and the Rossville Athletic Center.
Walker County libraries will be open on Saturday, but will close Monday through the end of the month.
Walker County Schools and Chickamauga Schools will be closed starting Monday. School is to resume on April 6 after the scheduled Spring Break.
There are no coronavirus cases yet in Walker County.
A health official said, "We had much rather over-react than under-react." He said churches should consider suspending services for the next several weeks.
Walker County Government:
Beginning Monday all Walker County community and activity centers will be closed through the end of March. This includes the Walker County Civic Center, Ag Center, LaFayette Senior Center, Rossville Athletic Center, and our various community centers. The Meals on Wheels food service will continue to operate through our Senior Center.
The Walker County Animal Shelter will be closed to the public during this mitigation period. Staff will continue to work in order to care for the displaced pet population. Animal Control will continue to answer animal control calls.
The County custodial staff has been given guidance to prioritize regularly disinfecting commonly touched surfaces – such as door knobs, countertops, keyboards, and light switches.
Information from the CDC will be posted in public buildings providing steps to prevent the spread of the virus.
This weekend, custodial staff will be fogging some of the county’s highest traffic public buildings with sanitizing vapor.
The county will also start fogging the transit buses with sanitizing vapor.
The public is strongly encouraged to conduct business with the county by mail or online as much as possible.
At this moment, in order to keep Walker County government operational, officials plan to continue with the public commissioner’s meeting calendar, but advise those who feel sick or would be at significant risk due to a weakened immune system, from attending. All all of the County Commissioner meetings will be posted on the Youtube Channel.
Chief Judge Kristina Cook Graham of the Superior Court of the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit has declared a Judicial Emergency that will affect all courts in Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade and Walker Counties. It is the order of the court that no jurors or grand jurors shall report and no jury trials shall be held for a period of 30 days.
The 911 Center is screening calls, so first responders can take extra precautions around patients with fever, shortness of breath and a dry cough.
All 2020 Census events are suspended. Invitations to fill out the Census online went out in the mail yesterday. Officials encourage those with Internet access to finish the Census online and Make Walker Count. The Census questionnaire can also be filled out and mailed in or completed by phone.
Officials are continuing to develop operational and support plans for various departments, should the risk of exposure increase in the community.
Walker County Schools:
Walker County Schools will be closed from Monday through March 27 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Per the school system’s calendar, students and staff will return to school after spring break on April 6.
During this time, all Walker County Schools activities will be suspended, canceled, or rescheduled from March 16-27.
Each school has developed an extended learning plan. A packet of information went home with students Friday. There is a digital component that will allow teachers to interact with students electronically if they have needs or questions.
Employees will be paid as normal.
The Pre-K lottery application deadline has been extended until April 10.
A plan is being developed to provide breakfast and lunch options for students while school is closed. If interested in receiving assistance, please fill out the linked form. A SchoolMessenger call will go out this Sunday with more details.
DAY CARE HELP:
Parents can contact for prices and hours:
Academy for Little People- (706) 375-7529 Will remain open at this time and will only offer childcare for school aged children that normally attend.
Chattanooga Valley Baptist Daycare- (706) 820-9736 daycare@cvbchurch.com Will remain open at this time and will offer childcare for school aged children that normally don’t attend. Meals will be provided.
First Steps (706) 866-2929 Will remain open at this time and will offer childcare for school aged children that normally don’t attend.
Flintstone ChildCare Inc. (706) 820-2638 Will remain open at this time and will offer childcare for school aged children that normally don’t attend.
Little Kingdom Academy- (706) 841-1300 Will remain open at this time and will offer childcare for school aged children that normally don’t attend.
Treasure Academy (706) 935-6837 Will remain open at this time and will offer childcare for school aged children that normally don’t attend.
Wee Care (706) 638-3727 (meeting at 4 p.m. Friday)
Wee Teach (706) 375-4105 Will remain open at this time and will offer childcare for school aged children that normally don’t attend.
Chickamauga City Schools:
Chickamauga City Schools will be closed from Monday through March 27. Students will return to school on April 6 after Spring Break. The district is taking this action in an abundance of caution to reduce the opportunity for the spread of COVID-19 among our teachers and students. In addition to closing our schools, the Georgia High School Association is suspending spring sports activities until further notice. All students have a digital device, and digital learning will begin on Monday.
Student lessons will be provided via Distance Learning Plans for K – 2 (teacher newsletters), and Microsoft Teams for grades 3 – 12 and monitored by their teachers. Governor Brian Kemp provided guidance for school systems today, and the state supports school systems closing for a 14-day period for us to better understand and control the spread of COVID-19 in the community.
City of Rossville:
Out of an abundance of care concerning COVID-19 the following schedules will apply:
Rossville Senior Center will be closed from Monday through March 30.
Rossville Municipal Court scheduled for Monday has been postponed until April 20.
All Rossville Recreational activities in the city limits of Rossville are suspended until March 27.
These dates are subject to be extended pending the daily monitoring of Covid-19.
City of LaFayette:
The city will continue with all services the public relies on, such as public safety, police, fire, sanitation and public works.
City Hall will remain open, but the public is asked to use the phone or mail as much as possible to minimize face to face interactions.
Recreation programs, including the golf course, will be suspended in parallel with the school system.
Cherokee Regional Library System:
This information impacts the libraries in Rossville, Chickamauga and LaFayette.
Walker County library locations will close, effective Monday through the end of the month. Patrons will have this weekend to stock up on materials, such as books and movies.
Tutorials will be posted on the system’s website and social media for accessing online materials. E-books, audiobooks and e-magazines will be available.
Department of Public Health:
We need to follow the CDC guidelines.
A daily status report is updated regularly with COVID-19 cases in Georgia.
There are no cases reported in Walker County as of Friday.
If you are sick, stay home.
Social distancing works and people are encouraged to stop shaking hands
If you think you might have been exposed, do not go to the doctor or hospital without calling first. . This gives healthcare workers an opportunity to perform triage without exposing everyone else.
There is a big concern about mass gatherings, such as social events and church services. Churches should consider suspending public services over the next two to three weeks until there is a clearer picture about how this virus will play out.
Businesses should be considering things they can help employees and customers do to limit exposure.
Additional information:
The Walker County Elections office will be open for early voting for the Presidential Preference Primary on Saturday as well as the satellite locations in Rock Spring, Rossville, Chickamauga and Lookout Mountain. All locations will be open from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Here is the link to the press conference:
https://www.facebook.com/WalkerCountyCommissioner/