Powder Springs city officials recently announced continued closure of city offices through at least January.

However, city staff members, who directly serve citizen needs, will remain available to the public by phone and email from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.

The reason for the closure is the increasing COVID-19 case numbers in Cobb and surrounding counties, according to a city statement.

The most recent figures from December show that Cobb County’s case rate per 100,000 residents was 675, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health.

That average is nearly seven times the rate that would be considered high transmission, according to Cobb & Douglas Public Health Director Dr. Janet Memark.

As stated in the city’s Nov. 18 closure announcement, city personnel with jobs that must be done in person - such as police, sanitation and stormwater - will continue to report to work and fulfill their required in-person duties, following all best practices from health organizations.

In late January, city officials will determine which operational changes will need to be made in the succeeding weeks.

Information: CityOfPowderSprings.org

Cobb & Douglas Public Health COVID-19 update on Dec. 16: youtu.be/leFtw28GFQQ