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Wood County, cities set May 18 to resume office hours

By Evan Bevins 5 min read

PARKERSBURG -- City and county government offices in Parkersburg, Vienna and Williamstown are set to reopen a week from Monday.

The three cities' mayors and the Wood County Commission announced May 18 as the date for their offices to return to a regular schedule - albeit with social-distancing measures and capacity limitations in place to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus - in a joint press release Friday. The decision was made in cooperation with the Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department, they said.

Dr. Charles Whitaker III, medical officer for the health department, said the COVID-19 statistics for Wood County and Gov. Jim Justice's gradual reopening plan for the state justified the step.

In the 58 days since Justice declared a state of emergency in West Virginia, Wood County has had 45 positive tests. Combined with the other five counties the department serves - Calhoun, Pleasants, Ritchie, Roane and Wirt - the total is 59 cases, with none reported in Calhoun.

"That's really very good," Whitaker said. "It's up to individuals if this rate is going to stay good."

That means people should continue to observe social-distancing regulations, wash their hands and wear masks when they go out in public, he said.

"A mask that you wear protects everyone around you, so if everybody wears one, we'll have very little spread," Whitaker said.

Wood County has seen very little, if any, community spread, which means incidents of one person infecting multiple others, he said. People have been doing a good job of self-quarantining if they've been in close contact with someone who tested positive for the virus, Whitaker said. That's why contact tracing by the health department is so important and will need to continue going forward.

In the week before the cities reopen, preparations are being made.

Parkersburg Mayor Tom Joyce said employees who have been working from home or on a rotating basis will be brought in starting Monday to work half shifts so the city can maintain social distancing among its workers.

"Public works personnel are working eight-hour shifts because social distancing is much easier for them," he said.

All employees who don't already have it will be issued personal protective equipment Monday, and signage to provide guidance on social distancing and occupancy limits will be put up.

"Everything's going to get cleaned over the course of next week," Joyce said, noting regular cleaning has been done while the Municipal Building has been closed, but lesser used areas will be gone over as well in preparation for reopening.

Joyce said it's still best for people to call before coming to the city offices, especially if they have underlying health conditions that may make them more vulnerable to the virus.

"As businesses start to open up, albeit in a limited capacity, we need to be available to serve all the citizens," he said.

The Memorial Bridge will remain toll-free for the time being, Joyce said. Most of the toll collectors are older individuals, who may be more susceptible to complications from the virus.

"We'll evaluate that moving forward," Joyce said.

The Wood County Courthouse is cleaned nightly based on who has been in the building, said County Commission President Blair Couch. More attention will be paid now to common areas that will be occupied again soon, where six-foot increments will be marked off with tape to show people safe distances to leave between one another. Some Plexiglas shields have been installed in areas where the public will interact with employees as well.

Couch said he's glad the cities and county coordinated to open together so it will cut down on confusion among the public.

"If something really changes (with health guidance), we have the ability to adjust," he said.

Vienna Mayor Randy Rapp said the front office of the city building is the only area that will be opening to the public and all business will be conducted through glass windows at the counter.

"We are still practicing social distancing and have placed markers in our buildings to keep everyone six feet apart," he said. "There will also be a sign posted outside to let everyone know the limit of people inside at any given time."

There is a Vienna City Council meeting scheduled for Thursday, and council will decide at that time whether another meeting will be held May 28.

Although the Williamstown city building is going to open to the public on May 18, officials have not decided whether the City Council meeting on May 19 will be.

"We have put up Plexiglas at the front counter in the city building and are limiting the number of staff in the building at any given time," said Williamstown Mayor Jean Ford.

Ford said those who are still avoiding crowds can always call the city building and the staff will try to help them as best they can.

"We are anxious to get back to a normal schedule," she said.

Ford said there is a drop box outside the city building that people can use to pay police tickets or the water bill.

"We are trying our best as a city to accommodate everyone and still take care of our city," she said. "We are thankful for everyone who has been working hard to follow the state guidelines to keep our city and citizens healthy."

Staff writer Madeline Scarborough contributed to this story.

Evan Bevins can be reached at ebevins@newsandsentinel.com

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