Montgomery County, TN – Some Montgomery County Government Services have been altered in order to minimize the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
The changes are due to an order from the Tennessee Supreme Court regarding court proceedings as well as the county’s decision to minimize the number of gatherings through the suspension of county facility rentals, and adjustments to employee practices for greater protection.
Montgomery County Mayor Jim Durrett has closed the court complex to the public on March 16th, 2020.
“I realize Monday’s closure will cause an inconvenience for some, but it will allow us to work with multiple departments of county government and our judicial partners to identify efficient ways to meet the requirements of the order. As we move forward, it is our intent to allow for more matters to come before our judicial partners to prevent a major backlog,” stated Mayor Durrett.
The Supreme Court of Tennessee’s decision to suspend all in-person proceedings in all state and local courts in Tennessee, including but not limited to municipal, juvenile, general sessions, trial, and appellate courts, which are suspended from the close of business Friday, March 13th, 2020 through Tuesday, March 31st, 2020.
Judge Jill Ayers stated, “We are working to avoid the typically packed courtrooms. We want the public to understand that courts will still be open. Everything and anything we can continue to do, within the parameters of what the Tennessee Supreme Court has sent out, we will do.”
Exceptions include proceedings necessary to protect constitutional rights of criminal defendants; civil and criminal jury trials that are in progress as of March 13th; proceedings related to relief from abuse, including but not limited to orders of protection; proceedings related to emergency child custody orders; department of Children’s Services emergency related to child protection; proceedings related to petitions for temporary injunctive relief; proceedings related to emergency mental health orders; proceedings related to emergency protection of elderly or vulnerable persons; proceedings directly related to the COVID-19 public health emergency and exceptions as approved by the Chief Justice.
“This is new and it is fluid. We will continue to assess how we can provide services, possibly in a different way, to meet the needs of the public and the court. Any updates on how services are provided will be shared with local media and on social media,” said Judge Ayers.
However, it has been recommended by health officials that to decrease the spread of COVID-19, gatherings of people should be limited. Based on that information, Montgomery County highly encourages canceling already scheduled events in the parks. Full refunds will be provided for cancellations.
Little League International has recommended that all leagues temporarily suspend activity until April 6th, 2020. Montgomery County strongly advises that leagues follow the recommendation and encourages contact with Montgomery County Parks and Recreation.
Montgomery County Mayor Jim Durrett stated, “Effects from the coronavirus are having an impact on the world. There is no reason to panic, however, it is important that we all do our part to prevent the spread of the virus. A critical point in the prevention of spreading the virus is to ‘flatten the curve,’ to avoid a peak in the number of people who contract the virus. We are taking steps to minimize gatherings of large groups and will continue to do our part to educate ourselves on doing our part to reduce the spread of COVID-19″
We encourage everyone to educate themselves on the guidelines set by the CDC at www.cdc.gov
In all county departments, employees shall observe rigorous contamination control standards while at work. This includes the use of appropriate cleaners in the workstation, frequent hand washing, use of hand sanitizer, avoiding physical contact with co-workers and customers, and social distancing — maintaining a buffer of 3-feet of space away from co-workers and customers.
Workplace meetings and employee travel have been minimized. Employees who are ill with a recent onset of lower respiratory symptoms and cough, regardless of whether a fever is present, have been asked to seek medical evaluation and avoid contact with others.
The Tennessee Department of Health updates all positive cases of coronavirus disease by county (COVID-19) at www.tn.gov/health/cedep/ncov.html at 2:00pm daily.
Also, the CDC provides the following information for best practices to avoid COVID-19 https://www.cdc.gov/…/workplace-school-and-home-guidance.pdf
