COVID-19 cancels, alters Buncombe County meetings, takes out numerous employees
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Buncombe County government is canceling or going virtual with multiple meetings in the name of COVID-19 safety, this as more than 100 of its employees are out with the virus.
Board of Commissioners clerk Lamar Joyner announced Jan. 14 the meeting planned for Jan. 18 is canceled.
Joyner and Buncombe County spokesperson Lillian Govus confirmed the cancellation was due to a mix of winter weather, as a major snowstorm is forecast to hit the Asheville area Jan. 15-16, and COVID safety precautions.
Agenda items set to be addressed Jan. 18 will move to an upcoming meeting, Joyner said.
Govus said Jan. 14 that 104 Buncombe employees are out with COVID and 82 are quarantining, about 11% of the county's staff.
"These numbers include all staff including the sheriff’s office," she said.
Buncombe County employs about 1,600 people.
COVID cases: Buncombe County COVID-19 positivity jumps to 20%, health director: 'Limit interactions'
More: What to know ahead of Asheville major winter storm, Gov. declares state of emergency
School impact: Spiking COVID-19 infections decimate Asheville City Schools staff; forces system to close
Before the commission meeting was canceled, Buncombe announced Jan. 3 it had to cancel several in-person Comprehensive Plan meetings. The county is beginning a significant public input phase of its "Comprehensive Plan 2043," a process that will see the county move to make policy and planning decisions that will guide its next two decades of growth.
There were six of these in-person or in-person/virtual hybrid meetings scheduled for January.
"Additional virtual meeting dates and times will be announced in addition to the currently scheduled Jan. 20 and Jan. 25 virtual meetings," Govus said in a news release Jan. 14.
Residents can visit engage.buncombecounty.org to access virtual meetings and see the current schedule for others.
The Comprehensive Plan and commission meetings aren't the only ones changed. Other Buncombe meetings are going virtual as county staff looks to keep the virus from spreading among staff members, officials and potential meeting attendees.
The Jan. 18 Affordable Housing Committee meeting scheduled at 1 p.m. will meet virtually. Residents can view and sign up for comment at engage.buncombecounty.org.
The Community Engagement Markets scheduled for Sycamore Temple and Asheville Middle on Jan. 18 have been canceled, but all other markets will continue to operate with free grab-and-go, pre-packaged food boxes. Face coverings are required at the markets. Residents can find more details on a calendar for these markets.
Related: Omicron rises, but so do vaccinations.
Testing: COVID-19 cases skyrocket in Asheville, Buncombe: Where and how can you get tested?
More: Omicron should 'concern us all,' says Mission medical chief; nurses call for OSHA safety
Govus also noted Buncombe has several other services offered online including:
The Buncombe County Bureau of ID fingerprint services is available only by appointments, and residents can call 828-250-4665 to schedule.
"Masks are required in all indoor public spaces in Buncombe County, which includes Buncombe County buildings," Govus said.
"Community members accessing Buncombe County services should adhere to public health guidance around social distancing and handwashing. For the safety and wellbeing of Buncombe County staff and visitors, please do not access in-person services if you feel unwell."
The county's COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic continues to operate each weekday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 40 Coxe Ave. in Asheville.
This clinic will be closed on Jan. 17 for the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday.
Residents don't have to make appoints to get a vaccine.
Andrew Jones is Buncombe County government and health care reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow or reach him at @arjonesreports on Facebook and Twitter. Email him at arjones@citizentimes.com.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Buncombe employee numbers, meetings take big COVID-19 hit
