Cobb County will alter some of its operations in an effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
County spokesman Ross Cavitt said starting Monday, the county's libraries, parks and recreation facilities and senior centers will cancel all activities and events until further notice. You can view the county's full list of event cancellations by clicking here.
However, Cavitt said the senior centers will remain open since they serve as early voting sites for the March 24 presidential primary and so volunteers can coordinate programs like Meals on Wheels and transportation services.
While those facilities will remain open, any common fitness spaces in the senior centers will be closed to visitors.
West Cobb Regional Library, which closed Tuesday for deep cleaning after learning an employee was possibly exposed to the virus, will reopen at 10 a.m. Monday. However, its programming has been cancelled and its community meeting rooms are closed to the public.
Cobb County is reviewing its list of parks and recreation amenities to determine what can be closed to slow the spread of the virus, Cavitt said.
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Cobb County firefighters will have a slightly different look when responding to medical calls. They will arrive on scene with protective masks, glasses and gloves and will try to keep a six-foot buffer between themselves and the public.
The change follows news that seven Cobb firefighters came in contact with a patient who subsequently tested positive for COVID-19, Cavitt said.
However, the firefighters did not learn of the patient’s test results until they were well into the 14-day period required for a quarantine. The firefighters quarantined themselves and “are fine now,” Cavitt said.
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The city of Kennesaw has suspended events and programs through April 10 at Smith-Gilbert Gardens, the Southern Museum of Civil War & Locomotive History and programs, classes and athletic events sponsored by its Recreation and Parks Department. However, all three entities will remain open and maintain normal business hours, city spokeswoman Rebecca Graham said.
Kennesaw’s Arbor Day celebration, set for March 20, has been called off and Keep Kennesaw Beautiful’s electronics and metal recycling and document shredding event has been rescheduled. The city’s Farmers Market has postponed its opening day to April 13.
Kennesaw’s Municipal Court will also reschedule arraignment calendars scheduled for March 17 and March 24. Anyone who has a court appearance on these days will be notified of the new date.
Smyrna said effective Monday, March 16, it will make access to public buildings “temporarily unavailable” until further notice.
Affected buildings include City Hall, Smyrna Public Library, Recycling Center, Community Center (and all programs), Brawner Hall, Wolfe Center, city-owned facilities such as Reed House, Taylor-Brawner House and Aunt Fanny’s Cabin and the Smyrna History Museum. The city has also cancelled all adult sports organized by its Recreation & Parks Department.
The drive-through window available for water services and tax payment will remain open. City Hall will also be open for public meetings. However, the city encourages residents to follow CDC guidelines to practice social distancing by watching City Council meetings online.
The city government will remain running, including curbside sanitation/recycling and public safety services.
The city of Marietta said it will remain open to provide services for citizens. However, the city said it will take some steps “to ensure that we are doing all we can to safeguard the health and well-being of our employees, their families and our residents.”
Dispensers filled with hand sanitizers have been installed in city-owned buildings. The city will also clean and sanitize police cars, fire trucks, prisoner transport vans and other equipment and vehicles used in the field that could come in contact with people. Buildings and other public gathering spots will also be cleaned and sanitized, the city said.
City spokeswoman Lindsey Wiles also said Marietta is reaching out to organizations planning major events over the next two months in the city “so that we can have an open line of communication in the event of any delayed, canceled, and rescheduled events,” she said.
CobbLinc, the county’s bus transit service, announced Thursday it has taken additional steps to minimize potential exposure to coronavirus. The agency has:
•Posted COVID-19 information flyers and fact sheets on staff bulletin boards, bus operator message boards, and common areas in CobbLinc administration buildings.
•Provided sanitizing wipes and spray to staff to disinfect common areas and high-touch surfaces and hand sanitizer to bus operators to use when they can not readily access soap and water.
•Established new cleaning protocols to disinfect the interior of buses more frequently.
• Implemented daily cleanings of equipment, areas that are routinely touched.
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