Bucks County announced Tuesday evening that county offices will be accessible by appointment only, but operations will continue.
The news came hours after Bucks County courts restricted their operations.
The new appointment policy will begin Wednesday and there is presently no end date due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
From the county:
Parks and outdoor recreational facilities will remain open, and county buildings will be operating from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Personal contact within county departments, as well as between employees and the public, is being limited to the extent possible. Departments are encouraging non-essential employees to work from home where possible in an effort to reduce the number of workers in common spaces.
Employees, as well as members of the public, will be asked to maintain a six-foot distance from one another. According to Dr. David Damsker, director of the county Department of Health, that is roughly the distance the virus can travel when a person coughs or sneezes.
The measures are being taken in keeping with the county’s state of emergency declaration, and in cooperation with the Commonwealth’s Community Mitigation Plan to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Pennsylvania and the federal government also are operating under states of emergency.
The commissioners stressed that county government provides a variety of important and necessary services in its administrative and court divisions, all of which are vital to a healthy, safe and robust community.
County employees are necessary and important in carrying out these services, the commissioners said. Therefore, while the county will operate with a significantly reduced level of personal interaction, it also will strive to maintain its basic functions while increasing its public health services.
To schedule an appointment with a county office, please call 215-348-6000, and you will be directed to the appropriate department.
To find contact information for a specific department or to learn the latest available COVID-19 information, please visit www.buckscounty.org. Members of the public are encouraged to use this site as much as possible to conduct business with the county, including making payments electronically.
