Berrien County closes public access to county buildings due to COVID-19

Published 2:44 pm Friday, November 13, 2020

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BERRIEN COUNTY — Based on the current spread of COVID-19 throughout the U.S. and the region, Berrien County announced today that it will be closing public access to county buildings starting Monday.

According to county officials, many county services will remain available via telephone, email, fax and through the county website. Some services may be available by making an appointment.

“The county is committed to serving its residents to the greatest extent possible, especially during times of crisis,” said Annette Christie, executive assistant to the county administrator.

Residents can access a detailed contact list for the various departments at berriencounty.org. In addition, all departments have their own page within the website.

“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,” Christie said. “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 bchdmi.org and Facebook page for the most up to date information and resources.