Beaufort County to close public offices due to ‘rising rate’ of infections among staff
Beaufort County is once again shutting down its government offices just a month after reopening them.
The closure is due to the “rising rate” of COVID-19 infections across Beaufort County and among county staff, spokesperson Liz Farrell said Thursday.
Starting at 8 a.m. Friday, all buildings operated by Beaufort County will be closed to the public until further notice, Farrell said.
“We appreciate people’s patience during this,” she said. “We have a duty to keep people safe and right now, this is the safest option.”
This is the second time this year the county has had to close its offices due to the coronavirus pandemic.
On March 23, the county announced that it would be closing all public buildings. The buildings were reopened in a phased plan that started on May 18, and all government and public buildings were officially open to the public on June 15.
The closure also included a controversial decision to suspend the processing of public records requests. Farrell said public records will still be processed during this most recent closure.
Beaufort County isn’t the only local government to close its offices a second time.
On July 2, Jasper County announced that it would close its offices to the public after reopening them three weeks prior.
Since the pandemic began, Beaufort County has had 2,171 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 24 people have died from the illness, according to data from the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.
Limited staff will conduct government business over the phone, a news release about the closure said. The county’s 11 convenience centers will remain open and on normal operating hours, the release said.
The Hilton Head Island Airport and Beaufort County Airport are still operating. Travelers should contact their airline carrier for questions about flight schedules and possible changes.
Thursday’s announcement comes two weeks after the County Council began requiring people in unincorporated parts of the county to wear masks inside all commercial and public buildings.
For more information about specific departments, visit the county’s website at https://www.beaufortcountysc.gov/.
