Warren County Government Offices to close to the public effective Monday, March 23, 2020

From the Warren County Office of Emergency Management:

Effective March 17, 2020, the Warren County Board of Supervisors declared a Local Emergency in Warren County due to an outbreak of a respiratory illness referred to as the Coronavirus (COVID-19), a communicable disease of public health threat. In order to help limit the spread of COVID-19 to its citizens, and in line with surrounding localities, the County will be taking the following actions as of Monday, March 23, 2020:

 The Warren County Government Center is closed to the public; all services will be provided via phone, email, or regular mail. Should the conduct of business require an in-person visit, it will be by appointment only; please call the appropriate office to request an appointment. The Treasurer’s Office will continue its drive-thru operations, and the outdoor dropbox is still available.

 All Warren County public meeting rooms are closed to non-governmental meeting uses.

 The Public Safety Building lobby is open to the public. Citizens can access the Sheriff’s Office and the Department of Fire and Rescue Services from their respective service windows.

 Warren County Parks and Recreation buildings, including the Youth Center and the Community Center, are closed to the public. At this time, outdoor trails, fields, and parks, including the Front Royal Golf Club, are still open to the public; please be advised the cleaning schedule for playgrounds may be affected. All scheduled Parks and Recreation programs and all rentals of shelters and other park locations through April 13, 2020, are canceled.

 Warren County Department of Social Services is closed to the public. Clients will be able to contact staff during regular business hours by calling the office at (540) 635-3430. To report Child Protective Services (CPS) or Adult Protective Services (APS) complaints outside of normal business hours, please call the State hotline at 1-800-552-7096 or (804) 786-8536. Applications and any case-specific information may be dropped off in the secure drop box located outside of the 15th Street complex. Applications for benefits may be submitted online via  https://commonhelp.virginia.gov/. The Department remains committed to providing assistance and resources to the community during this time.

 The Solid Waste Convenience Sites and Transfer Station will continue to operate their regular hours: 7:00 AM until 7:00 PM (Monday and Tuesday, Thursday through Saturday, CLOSED on Wednesday) and 12:00 PM until 7:00 PM (Sunday).

 The following meetings have been canceled:

o Monday, March 23rd – Lake Front Royal Sanitary District Advisory Committee

o Wednesday, March 25th – Development Review Committee

o Thursday, March 26th – Anti-Litter Council

 Information regarding the scheduled special meeting of the Warren County Board of Supervisors for Tuesday, March 24th at 9:00 AM will be forthcoming.

 The RSW Regional Jail Finance and Personnel Committee and the RSW Regional Jail Authority Board meetings scheduled for Thursday, March 26th have been relocated from the RSW Regional Jail to the Warren County Government Center.

The Warren County Health Department will remain OPEN and available to provide services. As a reminder, the following public facilities are closed:

 Samuels Public Library will be closed until Monday, March 30th. During this period, no fines will be charged.

 Warren County Public Schools has extended the closure of all schools through Monday, April 13th with students tentatively returning to school on Tuesday, April 14th. Visit https://www.wcps.k12.va.us/index.php/child-nutrition to receive updated information regarding meals being provided to students during this closure.

 The Front Royal-Warren County Airport Terminal building is closed until further notice, but this will not otherwise impact other Airport operations.

 RSW Regional Jail has temporarily suspended all visitation and programs until further notice. In an effort to keep families and friends connected with their loved ones during this time, RSW will be providing inmates with one free phone call every three days.

If you think that you (or a family member) may be experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, residents are urged to NOT show up unannounced at any local medical facility but instead contact a Primary Care Physician to discuss your symptoms. If you meet the Virginia Department of Health screening criteria and require COVID-19 testing, you will be directed to the appropriate local medical facility for treatment. If you have general questions regarding COVID-19, please call the Lord Fairfax Health District local call center at (540) 771-3992 or the Virginia Department of Health public information line at 1-877-ASK-VDH3 (1-877-275-8343). As always, if you are experiencing a true medical emergency, call 911 or report to the closest hospital’s emergency room for emergent treatment.

To lower the risk of respiratory germ spread, including COVID-19, the Virginia Department of Health encourages the following effective behaviors:

 Stay home when you are sick; avoid contact with sick people.

 Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds; use a 60% alcohol-based hand sanitizer only if soap and water are not available; regularly clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

 Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth; cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing.

As of 12:00 PM (noon) on Sunday, March 22, 2020, there are no reported COVID-19 cases in Warren County. This is a rapidly changing situation, and the most current information is available on the following websites: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus or www.vdh.virginia.gov/coronavirus/. Please consult www.vdh.virginia.gov/coronavirus for the latest number of COVID-19 cases in Virginia.

Additionally, the County has created an informational page regarding Coronavirus. Stay up-to-date with the latest County information: https://www.warrencountyva.net/coronavirus-latest-information.