Jasper County closes administrative buildings after surge in COVID cases among employees
Jasper County closed its administrative offices to the public after more than a fifth of its almost 300 employees have tested positive for COVID-19 or had to quarantine in the past month, a news release said. The Town of Bluffton also changed its COVID policy for its public buildings, reducing the number of staff working in each place at a time.
In Jasper County, all business will be conducted by phone, email and drop-box at least through Labor Day.
“The closure is needed to protect the health and well-being of county staff as well as those coming to do business at the county offices,” the release said.
Since July 26, Jasper County has had 64 COVID-related cases among employees, the release said. Twenty-one of those employees tested positive for the virus, 24 had negative test results but had to quarantine due to exposure, and 19 new cases are awaiting test results, according to human resources director Nicole Holt.
“We are a small staff to start with, but when we have this many people out sick or in quarantine, it does affect our ability to meet and serve the public face to face,” Holt said. “We apologize for the inconvenience and are hopeful we can re-open to in-person service sometime after Labor Day.”
County Administrator Andrew Fulghum said although the county would like to conduct business in person, staff is already trained on how to conduct business in other ways because emplooyees had do so for months during the pandemic.
“We are looking at a number of approaches and initiatives to improve our situation, not only for our employees but for all Jasper County residents,” Fulghum said.
Jasper County public schools have also gone all-virtual through at least Sept. 10.
Before the closure, the county had already partnered with the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control to sponsor multiple vaccine clinics for state residents age 12 and older.
“If you haven’t had the vaccine yet, I urge you to talk to your doctor or call DHEC and get accurate answers,” Barbara Clark, chair of the Jasper County Council, said in the release. “Our Lowcountry hospitals are filled with COVID cases again, with people on ventilators and people dying, and we have a free vaccine that can minimize your chances of dying.”
Jasper County and the City of Hardeeville have never passed local mandates requiring face masks in public buildings at any point during the pandemic, but the municipal offices have all experienced closures. The Town of Ridgeland is currently requiring masks in its buildings.
As of Monday, Hardeeville and Ridgeland offices are still open for regular business. The same is true for offices in neighboring Beaufort County, Hilton Head Island, Beaufort and Port Royal.
The Town of Bluffton started operating with a reduced staff Monday to “limit the opportunity for the coronavirus to spread among the public and employees,” the town said in an announcement. Masks aren’t mandated in Town Hall, but employees and visitors are asked to wear them. Masks and hand sanitizer are available at the entrance.
“The objective of implementing a hybrid-operation is to service our residents while doing our part to control infection rates,” Bluffton Town Manager Stephen Steese said in a news release. “Town staff is well-versed in working remotely as they keep the business of the town moving forward. This step is necessary, at this time, to keep our community and employees safe.”
