Chesterton Tribune

 

 

Porter County workers to return; public access by appointment

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The Porter County Commissioners announced at their meeting on Tuesday that COVID-19 testing of all county employees will be completed by Friday, May 22, and that employees who test negative will return to their regular work schedules on Tuesday, May 26.

“With employee testing nearing completion, we have a baseline at which to start,” Commissioner Laura Blaney, D-South, said in a statement released after deadline on Tuesday. “But testing was just the first step in reducing the risk of exposure to our employees and visitors.”

Beginning on Tuesday, May 26, and every day thereafter, all employees will have their temperature taken and complete a COVID-19 risk assessment questionnaire when they enter their building. If their temperature is at or above the CDC guidelines or if they do not pass the risk assessment, they will be sent home and may not return to work until they are tested at the ISDH testing site and receive a negative result.

In addition, the Facilities Department will continue the enhanced cleaning of the public and common areas with disinfectant and antiviral cleaning products as well as provide each department anti-viral cleaning products as available. Each department will be responsible for additional cleaning of commonly use spaces and surfaces within the private workspaces. Hand sanitizer, hand sanitizing stations, and disinfecting wipes will be provided throughout the public and common areas of the county buildings and to each department, as available.

County employees will be required to wear masks in any public and common area within any county building, and the county highly recommends that all employees wear a face mask at all times at work. Sneeze guards will be provided to each department with a customer service counter. County employees should be either behind a sneeze guard mask or wear a mask when dealing with the public.

Also beginning on Tuesday, May 26, the public may access services at county buildings by appointment only. Any county building that is allowing public access by appointment only shall take temperatures and refuse admission if the citizen’s temperature is at or above the current CDC recommendation. Citizens entering a county building shall be required to wear a mask while in the building.

Citizens who require an appointment should contact the appropriate department in advance to schedule that appointment. Members of the public will not be allowed access without a scheduled appointment. To find the phone numbers of the department, citizens can visit www.porterco.org/directory

“We know everyone wants to get back to business as usual but these are unusual and uncertain times,” Blaney added. “We are taking gradual steps to get there but, first and foremost, our responsibility is the health and safety of our employees and the public.”

 

Posted 5/20/2020

 
 
 
 

 

 

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