COVID-19 surge forces several county departments to remain closed to public until Feb. 4

Martin Estacio, Victorville Daily Press
·2 min read
The San Bernardino County Museum in Redlands.
The San Bernardino County Museum in Redlands.

More than a dozen San Bernardino County departments will remain closed to the general public and offer only limited services for at least another week in response to a surge in COVID-19 cases.

Officials said the following departments will offer services by phone and online but remain closed through Feb. 4:

  • Aging and Adult Services

  • Agriculture/Weights & MeasuresAssessor-Recorder-Clerk – Appointments available

  • Child Support Services

  • Clerk of the Board of Supervisors

  • Community Development and Housing

  • County Fire and Fire Marshal

  • Human Resources

  • Inland Counties Emergency Medical Agency (ICEMA)

  • Land Use Services (Planning, Building and Safety, and Code Enforcement)– Appointments available

  • Public Works – Appointments available

  • Purchasing

  • Risk Management

  • Transitional Assistance – Some appointments and limited in-person services remain available

  • Veterans Affairs

  • Workforce Development

If a person cannot be served remotely, in-person appointments will be available.

The rise in COVID-19 cases — fueled by the omicron variant which makes up a majority of new cases — caused the San Bernardino Superior Court to suspend all new civil and criminal jury trials until next month.

California has been averaging 85,111 new cases per day over the past week which is roughly 30% lower compared to two weeks ago, according to Los Angeles Times data.

San Bernardino County reported its highest number of new cases in one day: 7,627 on Jan. 11. That tally is 45% higher, or 2,368 cases more, than a peak during a winter surge last January.

County spokesperson David Wert said officials began modifying services Jan. 13 to minimize the spread of the virus among public and county employees. The county has 25,000 budgeted positions.

“We have a responsibility to do everything we can to limit the spread of the virus while still providing access to the county services people need,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Curt Hagman said in a statement earlier this month.

Wert was unable to estimate how many employees were off work due to COVID-19 as they may have other unrelated illnesses or injuries.

From Monday through Thursday this week, 326 county employees reported they were infected, he said.

County museums and libraries also remain closed.

For more information on county departments, visit SBCounty.gov.

Daily Press reporter Martin Estacio may be reached at 760-955-5358 or MEstacio@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DP_mestacio.

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: COVID-19 forces San Bernardino County departments closed until Feb. 4