Local governments close down certain facilities due to coronavirus outbreak

HAMPTON ROADS, Va. (WAVY) — Localities across Virginia have shut down in an effort to prevent the spreading of the coronavirus.

This comes after Gov. Ralph Northam declared a state of emergency for Virginia.

In addition to local facilities, Northam ordered all Virginia K-12 schools to close for the remainder of the school year.

All closings and cancellations will remain in effect until otherwise stated.

Virginia

Chesapeake

• The City of Chesapeake canceled all city-sponsored athletic activities permitted on city or school property through Chesapeake Parks, Recreation and Tourism.
• All programs at Chesapeake community centers have been canceled.
• Chesapeake Public Library branches are closed to the public.
• Parks and playgrounds remain open for unorganized recreation.
• The Public Utilities Department suspended water cutoffs effective Monday, March 16.
• All other public utility services will be maintained.
• There are no changes to emergency services or trash and recycling collection.

Hampton

• Hampton closed all city buildings to the public indefinitely.
• Essential services will continue to be available to residents, including trash and recycling pickup and fire, EMS, and police services.
• Events have been canceled at the Hampton Coliseum and Hampton Roads Convention Center, as well as other special city events.
• The Hampton Police Department will continue responding to emergency calls, but will not be handling other routine services like fingerprinting or answering records requests, until the outbreak of coronavirus is over.
• HPD headquarters is closed to the public, and officers are requesting to take police reports over the phone when possible.

Gloucester County

• Gloucester County offices remaining closed for public access until further notice.
• Meeting’s that have been rescheduled as of March 27.
  • Public hearing on proposed fiscal year 2021 budget and the public hearing on the calendar year 2020 tax rates, both of which were originally scheduled for March 25, are canceled. The public hearings will be rescheduled to a later date, which will be advertised in local media outlets and announced through the County’s website and social media.
  • The Board’s budget work session, which was tentatively scheduled for April 1, will not be held. Dates for additional budget work sessions will be determined during the coming weeks. Those dates will also be advertised in local media outlets and announced through the County’s website and social media outlets.
  • The April 7 regular meeting of the Board will take place via electronic means. During this meeting, the Board will contemplate only items directly associated with the emergency declaration and measures that need to be taken to sustain the essential business of the County government moving forward. The meeting will be advertised as usual, and the Board packet will be published in advance, as usual. The public can view the meeting streaming live or by watching on Cox Cable Channel 48.

James City County

• All County offices, facilities, parks, playgrounds, recreation centers, and libraries are closed.
• The county’s Department of Social Services is closed to the public.
• The county’s fire departments are closed to the public unless a person is experiencing an emergency.
• Essential County services to the public will continue. 
• County Convenience Centers and curbside recycling services will continue normal operating hours. The Convenience Center located on Jolly Pond Road will remain open for trash disposal.
• Public sports courts, including those at schools, are closed.
• The Peninsula Health District has set up a call center for questions about COVID-19 at 757-594-7069. The call center is available from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., seven days a week.

Newport News

• All Newport News City offices, facilities, and buildings are closed to the public until further notice.
• City employees are to continue to report to work as usual; however, liberal leave is in effect for non-essential employees.
• City-sponsored events, programs, classes, and activities have been canceled until further notice.
• The Peninsula Regional Animal Shelter will remain open normal hours for adoptions.
• Parks including campgrounds and golf courses will remain open.
• The city’s 311 and Waterworks Customer Service call center will still be available for residents by phone or online.

Norfolk

• All Norfolk City Council work sessions and informal meetings are canceled until further notice.
• City facilities such as recreational centers, libraries, MacArthur Memorial, Nauticus, and the Virginia Zoo are closed to the public.
• Closed facilities also include the DMV Select, Commissioner of the Revenue and the Treasurer’s Office located in City Hall.
• Norfolk parks remain open as certain amenities close.
• Essential services will continue as normal.
• Residents should use online options to make bill payments or access city services, the city wrote in a news release.
• All city-managed events are canceled.
• Norfolk is offering free 1-hour parking at metered spaces in Downtown Norfolk, Ghent, and near Old Dominion University.

Portsmouth

• Portsmouth Circuit Court, Portsmouth General District Court, and Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court courthouse will remain closed until Wednesday, April 8.
• All City of Portsmouth, facilities, and offices including Parks, Recreation and Tourism, Public Libraries, Portsmouth Museums, Visitor Information Center, the Commissioner of the Revenue’s Office, the Voter Registrar’s Office, and the City Treasurer’s Office are closed to the public.
• No in-person transactions will be conducted.
• The closure is in effect until further notice.
• City employees will report to work during their normal work hours.
• The public is encouraged to use the city’s online options for payments and services.

Suffolk

• City offices and facilities are closed to the public until further notice. Suffolk Police Headquarters and Suffolk Fire and Rescue Station 6 will remain open to the public, but with limited service.
• The City of Suffolk’s G. Robert House, Jr. Water Treatment Facility Laboratory will not be accepting water samples until state and city offices reopen to the public.
• Suffolk employees will continue to report to work until further notice. Essential city services, like trash collection, will continue.
• Suffolk Transit and the Suffolk Executive Airport will continue to operate as normal.
• All Suffolk City-sponsored events and activities have been canceled or postponed for a full list of those events visit the city’s website.
• Suffolk Transit and the Suffolk Executive Airport will continue under normal operations.
• All local outdoor parks and playgrounds remain open and social distancing is recommended.
• City of Suffolk employees will report to work during this time.
• The Suffolk Treasurer’s Office will temporarily suspend convenience fees for transactions made online.
• All outdoor basketball courts will be closed effective immediately
• All Spring sports (youth outdoor soccer, teeball, adult softball, adult basketball) are canceled. Staff will be contacting all customers that are currently registered. All participants will be issued a full refund.
• Cypress Park Pool opening will be delayed until Saturday, June 13th, unless other Orders are in place.
• Adult and youth tennis lessons (beginner and intermediate) will be postponed until after June 10th, unless other Orders are in place.

Surry

• The Government Center and all County Buildings are closed to employees and the public beginning March 16.
• This includes county facilities: Parks and Recreation fields and picnic shelters, the Animal Shelter and the Surry County Visitors Center.
• County staff will work as much as possible remotely to do as much as possible to continue operations, including checking and responding to emails and phone calls.
• All Solid Waste & Recycling Centers will continue to operate as scheduled.
• The Blackwater Regional Library will close all branches beginning March 17. Patrons may continue returning materials to book drops until further notice.
• Building inspections will occur on a limited schedule. Requests for inspections can be left on the building department’s voicemail as normal and they will be checked daily.
• The shelter is closed for adoptions, owner surrenders and requests for traps; however, staff will continue to pick up animals that are running at large.
• According to a social media post from the Surry County Sheriff’s Office, those summoned for jury duty on April 14th, 21st, and 24th, 2020 do not need to appear. The dates have been postponed. If you have any questions please contact Surry County Circuit Court.

Virginia Beach

• Virginia Beach General District Court operation guideline updates as of April 22.
• Virginia Beach city government buildings are closed to the public. Staff will continue rendering services to city residents by phone.
• The Virginia Beach Courthouse is closed for everything except essential services through April 26.
• All recreation centers, libraries, and the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center are closed. Staff should report as usual. The Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) will close to the public for the rest of the month. 
• Many city events have been canceled, including the April 25 Farmers Market Birthday Bash.
• Effective March 26, all amenities including playgrounds, basketball and volleyball courts, dog parks, and skate parks will be closed. Larger playgrounds at signature parks such as Grommet Island at the Oceanfront, Kids Cove at Mount Trashmore, Little Island, Red Wing, and several others have been barricaded with signage indicating “closed until further notice.”
• The city stated on its social media accounts that while shelters are not currently closed, they will be soon to prevent them from being used as gathering spots.
• The Virginia Beach Commissioner of the Revenue’s office will be suspending all public access to offices in City Hall.
• The Virginia Beach City Council will only hold a brief informal meeting on Tuesday, March 17 to receive a COVID-19 update report and take action on one item. 
• Planning and any other items that require a public hearing currently on the agenda for March 17 will be delayed to the April 7 agenda. 
• The Virginia Beach Correctional Center has canceled on-site inmate visitation beginning March, 17. The Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office is giving inmates two free five-minute phone calls every week to help them stay connected with their loved ones.
• The Commissioner of the Revenue is waiving late filing penalties for taxes for February 2020 meals, lodging, and admissions until further notice.
• Virginia Beach Public Utilities is not accepting walk-in customers and will take limited customer service calls by phone. Customers should only call for the following reasons:
  • Water turn-on requests for new service
  • Water turn-off requests for moving out
  • No water complaints
  • Low water pressure complaints
  • Burst pipes
  • Hazardous meter lids
• Routine requests can be submitted online.
• For the latest information, visit emergency.vbgov.com
• To address routine and non-emergency needs, VBDHS has created additional pathways for citizens to communicate with essential service staff members by utilizing the email addresses listed below. These accounts will be monitored daily Monday through Friday and responses will be provided within one business day.
  • VB Behavioral Health (Adults & Children): VBBH@vbgov.com
  • VB Developmental Services: VBDS@vbgov.com
  • VB Adult and Aging Services: VBAAS@vbgov.com
  • VB Child Welfare Programs: VBCWP@vbgov.com
  • VB Benefits: VBBenefits@vbgov.com
    (SNAP, Medicaid, TANF, Energy and Water Assistance)
  • VB FAPT (Family Assessment and Planning Team): VBFAPT@vbgov.com

Virginia Department of Corrections

• Volunteers will no longer be allowed to enter Virginia’s prisons as concerns over coronavirus rise across the state. Visitors are no longer able to visit inmates in Virginia’s prisons, either, but can use off-site video visitation to communicate.
• Gov. Ralph Northam has suspended prisoner intake from local jails to the state’s prisons for 30 days, and inmates are not being transferred between facilities for that time as well.

Williamsburg

• The City Manager Andrew Trivette announced April 16 that all public facilities will remain closed until further notice.
• Most city employees will continue to telework.
• City of Williamsburg employees were sent home to telework on Wednesday, March 17. There are some exceptions, including the employees at the water treatment facility, which must be staffed at all times. They’ve been directed to work away from each other.
• City employees who report to city buildings, like Fire, Police, Public Works, City Manager’s Office, Human Services, and the Director of Elections Office, will continue to work and receive temperature screens twice daily and will be sent home if needed.
• Waller Mill Park and city parks and playgrounds are closed.
• Several public meetings have been canceled, including the Planning Commission meeting, the
• Architectural Review Board meeting, and the Neighborhood Relations meeting.
• The Director of Elections is encouraging residents to register to vote online. Residents without access to the internet can call the Voter Registration Office for paper copies of applications at (757) 220-6157. The city’s Office of Elections will also offer curbside service in the Municipal Building Parking Lot beginning March 20.
• The Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail in Williamsburg has also changed its operations. The lobby is now closed to the public. In-person visitation is suspended. One free 15-minute video chat is also available to inmates each week. Weekender reporting to the jail, as well as volunteer programs, are also suspended.
• Trash truck drivers will no longer step out of the truck to manually pick up items outside your cart. Place all items in the cart and on the curb by 7 a.m.

York County

• York County offices will be closed to the public Monday and Tuesday, March 16 and 17. This will allow staff to clean the buildings and hold discussions to determine a potential course of action.
• York Hall will be open for the March 17 Board of Supervisors meeting but will limit attendance to critical staff and those members of the public who have business with the Board.
• The Yorktown and Tabb Public Libraries remain closed.
• Yorktown Beach has been closed to sunbathers and swimmers effective March 24.
• The York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office is closed to the public.

For a full list of events and closures visit the York County’s website.

Click here for information on how to prepare for the impacts of the coronavirus.

North Carolina

Camden County

• The Camden County Senior Center is closed to the public until further notice and all activities and trips have been canceled. The center will be cleaned and sanitized before it reopens.
• The county’s parks and recreation programs are canceled, and the library has been closed until further notice. The Dismal Swamp Visitor Center is closed to the public, but the staff is available to take phone calls.
• The Camden County 4-H program has temporarily suspended its educational programs and activities, but the office is open and receiving calls and walk-ins, as well as making farm visits.
• The Camden County Sheriff’s Office has suspended permit applications and fingerprinting processes in person.

Chowan County

• The Edenton Chowan Recreation Department has canceled all activities. The Walker Gym (Oakum Street) is closed. The Northern Chowan Community Center will close to the public on Tuesday, March 17. All recreation programming and facilities will be closed for two weeks and will be following the school closure schedule.
• The Chowan County Veterans Services Office is closed for walk-in visitors. Call to make an appointment, 252-482-1033.
• The Chowan County Planning Board meeting scheduled for Tuesday, March 17th has been postponed.
• Tri-County Animal Shelter and Adoption Center will be operating by appointment only until further notice.
• No visitors are allowed at the county’s EMS stations.
• NC Cooperative Extension Service activities have been canceled. SHIP counseling can be done by phone.
• Senior center activities will be suspended on March 18. Congregate meals will be pick-up only and meal deliveries remain operational.
• The Chowan County Jail will not accept visitors. The Chowan County Sheriff’s Office will not conduct fingerprinting or process applications for concealed carry permits.
• All Extension activities scheduled during the next two weeks have been canceled until further notice. SHIPP counseling can be done by phone.
• Edenton Town Hall (400 S. Broad Street) is temporarily closed to walk-in customers in an effort to follow the social distancing guidelines published by the North Carolina Department of Health & Human Services (NC DHSS) for public-facing businesses and agencies. Town Staff will continue working during this time and will still be processing utility payments for customers.

Dare County

• Officials have restricted visitor access to Dare County to help slow the spread of the coronavirus.
• The visitor access restriction begins Tuesday, March 17 at 2 p.m. Information on when it will be lifted is not available. Since the restriction was announced, Dare County Emergency Management has processed over 9,000 entry permits. Entry permits can be applied for online.
• Dare County closed several county facilities at 2 p.m. on Monday, March 16. These include:
  • The Dare County Center
  • Thomas A. Baum Senior Center
  • The Fessenden Center
  • All Parks and Recreations facilities
  • All Dare County Library locations
• Dare County offices will remain open with limited face-to-face contact between staff and visitors. Residents should call to see if services can be received over the phone or online before coming into a county office in person.
• Those needing new or renewed concealed handgun permits should access them online. Fingerprint applications will be scheduled by calling (252) 475-5980.
• Meal delivery programs for older adults will offer a drive-by meal pick up.
• Cape Hatteras National Seashore visitor center is temporarily closed, along with the Oregon Inlet Campground. The visitor center at the Wright Brothers National Memorial is also closed.
• Playgrounds and public restrooms are closed.
• EMS will not provide non-emergency patient assistance unless an appointment has been scheduled.
• The Outer Banks Hospital has prohibited most visitors. They will evaluate the need for visitors on a case-by-case basis for the maternity and postpartum unit, clinics located in the hospital, end-of-life patients, discharge pickup, and the emergency department for pediatric patients and patients requiring assistance.
• The Outer Banks Hospital is rescheduling non-emergent outpatient procedures and visits over the next two weeks. The outpatient walk-in lab is open, but officials are asking patients to wait to come if their test can wait.
• The Outer Banks Medical Group will offer phone and computer virtual visits for established patients to continue care. Anyone who needs to be seen on a virtual visit should call their doctors office to schedule an appointment.
• Virtual counseling and groups will be offered at PORT Health next week.
• Surf Pediatrics and Medicine will see all of their patients in their practice. Well patients will be seen in the Kitty Hawk office, while sick patients will be seen in the Kill Devil Hills office. This practice cannot test for COVID-19. 
• Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative is suspending service disconnections to nonpayments and late fees until Dare County lifts its State of Emergency declaration.

Elizabeth City

• Board of Education for Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Public Schools will hold their regular meeting, via livestream, on Monday, April 27, 2020, at 6:30 p.m. The Board will not hold committee meetings as previously scheduled on April 20, 2020.
• Several Elizabeth City buildings have been closed to the public, including:
  • Knobbs Creek Recreation Center
  • ECPC Senior Center
  • Hugh Cale Community Resource Center
  • Griffin Street Customer Payment Center
  • Elizabeth City Public Safety Building
• Customer service lobbies will remain open, but customers are encouraged to use drive-through and kiosk options when possible.
• Sentara Albemarle Medical Center has set up a triage tent near the emergency department in case the hospital becomes overwhelmed during the coronavirus pandemic.
• Albemarle District Jail has canceled all outside visitors, and attorneys will be screened before coming into the facility.

Hertford County

• Hertford County offices, services, and buildings will maintain normal hours of operation with a few exceptions.
• All senior centers are closed.
• The sheriff’s office will suspend finger-printing services and vehicle unlocking assistance until further notice.
• The detention center will reduce the visitation schedule from four days a week to two days, on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
• The utility department will also suspend disconnection services for non-payment through April 10. All late fees incurred between March 16 and April 10 for non-payment will be waived.

Pasquotank County

• Board of Education for Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Public Schools will hold their regular meeting, via livestream, on Monday, April 27, 2020, at 6:30 p.m. 
  • The Board will not hold committee meetings as previously scheduled on April 20, 2020.
• The Pasquotank library and public safety buildings have closed to the public until further notice. County staff will be working and can be reached by phone.
• The Pasquotank County Sheriff’s Office will close to the public beginning Tuesday, March 17.
• First responders will continue to answer emergency calls, but residents will not be able to visit the sheriff’s office for non-emergency civil matters or to apply for handgun permits or concealed handgun permits until further notice. Gun permits and concealed handgun permits can be accessed online.

Perquimans County

• Those needing to conduct business with the county offices should do as much as possible online or by telephone.
• All criminal matters scheduled for criminal district court on March 18 are continued except for probable cause hearings and first appearance hearings. All civil matters except small claims court will be heard.
• The Perquimans County Senior Center has suspended most activities through the end of March.
• Perquimans County Library will be closed for two weeks starting Monday. WiFi hotspots are available through Inteliport in downtown Hertford parking areas and outside of local school buildings for students.
• Inter-County Public Transit Authority (ICPTA) transports are postponed until further notice except for dialysis and critical care cancer patients.

Military

Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story

JEB Little Creek is also taking precautions ahead of COVID-19 announcements. The installation will continue to provide all security, fire and emergency services as normal. A ‘no-touch’ policy has been implemented for checking ID cards and food facilities/the base theater are operating under restrictions of groups less than 50. The Fitness center is restricted to active duty, reservist and first responders. All gates and galleys are operating as normal.

For further information on individual closings on base, click here.

Joint Base Langley-Eustis

Access to JBLE has been limited to “official business only.” This means the Department of Defense ID-carrying people and those on official business will have access to the installation. Official business is defined as access to the commissary, base exchange, hospitals, pharmacy, and child care services.

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