Catoosa County officials announced adjustments to some county services and preparations to help ensure public safety and proactively reduce any possible future impacts of the coronavirus (COVID-19).
Currently there are no confirmed cases of coronavirus in Catoosa County. Extra steps are being taken to protect elderly citizens, including the closure of the Senior Center from March 16-27. In the meantime, the Senior Center is providing seniors with 11- day food packages, with continued transportation services to be provided by Catoosa TransAid.
"We want to help our most vulnerable neighbors, senior citizens, stay healthy by reducing their potential exposure to the coronavirus in case it presents in our community," said Catoosa County Commission Chairman Steven Henry.
Additionally, Catoosa County Sheriff Gary Sisk encourages seniors to take advantage of his department's senior check program.
"We welcome seniors to call us at (706) 935-2424 and be placed on our senior check list," said Sheriff Sisk. "We will call them everyday to ask how they are doing and if we can help provide assistance."
All Recreation Department events have been postponed until at least April 6. The Catoosa County Library will remain open, but programs have been postponed until further notice. Voting will continue as scheduled.
"We regret any inconvenience these adjustments may cause, but out of an abundance of caution we want to do everything we can to keep our neighbors as healthy and safe as possible," said Catoosa County Manager Alicia Vaughn.
Jury duty for the weeks of March 16 and March 23 has been suspended, which will delay Superior Court trials. Other courts face postponements as well, so anyone with scheduled court business is encouraged to check the county's website at www.catoosa.com.
atoosa County will work with contractors to take extra steps to clean and disinfect public buildings including the courthouse and administrative buildings. All non-essential travel will be postponed.
"Catoosa County Government will continue to serve residents with the best possible services in cooperation with our community partners," Chairman Henry said. "We hope to be able to resume life-as-usual as quickly as possible and appreciate everyone's patience."
For the latest information, please visit www.catoosa.com. For the latest coronavirus updates, go to:
Georgia Department of Public Health: https://dph.georgia.gov/novelcoronavirus
Centers for Disease Control & Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
For additional information, contact Public Relations Specialist John Pless at 779-4069.