WADESBORO — County Commissioner Barron Monroe provided updates to the Board of Commissioners concerning their response to the pandemic during their April 7 meeting, which was live-streamed on YouTube.
County Administration has reduced the number of hours they are available to the public. Access to the Government Center on Green Street in Wadesboro has been limited and so has the number of people allowed within at one time, Monroe said.
While the Government Center is operating at full-time hours, the Tax Collection, Tax Assessor, and Register of Deeds will do bookkeeping from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Register of Deeds will only be accepting people by appointment. These individuals are not to come through the front door but will be escorted through the back office. Office employees will be in the building from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
A number of county departments have reduced their number of staff and closed their doors to the public. These include Anson County Animal Shelter, Elderly Services, Hampton B. Allen Library, Veterans Services, and Parks & Rec.
The Department of Social Services, Health Department, and Anson County Transportation are currently open but are reducing their services to clients. DSS has implemented a telework program that enables many of its employees to work from home. When people make an appointment, they will be secluded to a single location to conduct their interviews and submit their applications.
The Health Department is closing its doors to the public except for those with an appointment and so is ACTs. “We can’t close the entire organization,” explained Monroe, “but we’re trying to meet the level of need in the community with appropriate safety, for both our employees and the public.”
“We are currently under a State of Emergency,” said Monroe. “We remain under that for the duration that the Governor has issued the Stay at Home Order.” Monroe went on to explain that the Board of Commissioners have the authority to extend the stay-at-home order for Anson County if they deemed it necessary. For now, Monroe says they are paralleling everything that the state does.
Following Monroe’s report, Commissioner Vancine Sturdivant asked Health Director Dr. Fred Thompson to provide the Board with information on the condition and location of the Anson County residents who have tested positive for COVID-19.
“With all due respect to the concerns of the public, I have a concern with the HIPPA authorization of discussing people’s medical issues here in a public forum like this,” replied County Attorney Scott Forbes replied to Commissioner Sturdivant’s inquiry. “I believe it would be better suited for agencies in charge to discuss this information if they can.”
Dr. Thompson did explain to the Board that there had been seven cases of COVID-19 in Anson County so far. As of April 14, there are 10 cases of the virus, five of which are active and their condition is improving. Two of the cases are community spread, which means that health officials do not know where the patient contracted the virus.
“Once you have a community spread case, it’s important that our citizens treat everybody they come into contact with as potentially infected,” explained Thompson.
Anson County Sheriff Reid also updated the Board on the legality of churches holding services during the pandemic. “They can only have ten or fewer members present and these members have to practice social distancing, but they can have church at this time,” said Reid. “Drive-in church services are legal as long as the congregation doesn’t get out of their car and they practice social distancing.”
“I am a strong Christian and Easter is a special time to me. But, I don’t think the good Lord wants to lose a single Christian to this virus,” said Commissioner Dr. Jim Sims in response to Reid’s update.
In addition to the COVID-19 updates, it was announced that Cynthia Springer was appointed to Sandhill Regional Library System’s Board of Trustees, representing Anson County. “Ms. Springer is a well-respected former teacher and will be great on the Library Board of Trustees,” remarked Dr. Sims.
