The rampant rise of coronavirus cases across Michigan’s Great Southwest is forcing the hand of county government to resort to closing off public access to county buildings in Berrien County.
Based on the current spread of COVID-19 throughout the United States and the region, Berrien County has announced today that they will be closing public access to County buildings starting Monday, November 16, 2020. Many county services will remain available via telephone, email, fax, and through the website, and some services may be available by making an appointment.
The County says they are committed to serving residents to the greatest extent possible, especially during times of crisis. You can access a detailed contact list for the various departments on the Berrien County website at http://www.berriencounty.org. In addition, all departments have their own page within that website.
County Administrators say, “We are continuing to see record numbers of COVID-19 cases here in Berrien County, and the case count has been doubling every two weeks since the beginning of October. The decision to limit public access to County buildings was made in consultation with the Berrien County Health Department and based on current recommendations for social distancing. It is important to practice social distancing by limiting in-person interactions in order to slow the transmission of COVID-19 in our region and ultimately, in order to save lives. Berrien County encourages all residents to continue taking individual precautions to protect their own health, the health of their families, and the County as a whole, in particular those at highest risk of serious illness.”
Berrien County has been responding to COVID-19 for months and all individuals should continue to take the following protective actions to prevent the spread of the virus:
- Wear a mask when around individuals who are not members of your household
- Watch your distance – Maintain 6 feet of social distance between yourself and others
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or use hand sanitizer if soap and water are unavailable
- Stay home if you are experiencing any COVID, flu, or cold symptoms
- If you have a positive COVID test, isolate at home for 10 days following symptom onset (or test date if asymptomatic). If you have been a close contact to a COVID case, quarantine at home for 14 days, avoiding contact with others
Residents who have COVID-19 related questions are encouraged to call the Berrien County Health Department Response Hotline at 1-800-815-5485 or email publichealth@bchdmi.org. Residents are also encouraged to visit the health department’s website at http://bchdmi.org and Facebook page for the most up to date information and resources.
