COVID-19 outbreak shuts down City Hall | Palatka Daily News, Palatka, Florida

Anyone having contact with office, recreation staff should check for symptoms

A memo on the door of Palatka City Hall on Thursday afternoon says the building will be closed until Jan. 4 due to a COVID-19 outbreak.
Palatka City Hall

Palatka City Hall is closed until Jan. 4 after an outbreak of COVID-19 impacted City Hall and Recreation Department employees about two weeks ago.

Human Resources Director Debra Robinson said seven employees have tested positive, so the rest of the staff is quarantining.

“We’ve had City Hall (sanitized) twice and cleaned,” Robinson said.

City officials believe the outbreak occurred around Dec. 14, according to a press release issued Thursday. City Hall was initially supposed to close early Wednesday. The city is asking people who came in contact with City Hall employees or Recreation Department employees in the past 10 days to assess their symptoms.

Other departments were not affected. Mayor Terrill Hill the city was taking necessary precautions.

“We’re just going to do everything the guidelines require and try to keep everybody healthy that we can,” Hill said.

The city still plans to have its swearing-in ceremony for City Commissioner Tammie McCaskill and newly-elected Commissioner Willie Jones on Jan. 4. The city will determine whether to have in-person events at a later date, according to a press release.

“We are going to make some accommodations in terms of COVID-19 and social distancing. We’re working on the logistics now as it pertains to being in compliance,” Robinson said.

The city limited in-person meetings, had employees wear masks if social distancing wasn’t an option and conducted temperature checks at the door to City Hall. If someone has an inquiry relating to the city, they are asked to call departments directly.

“The city of Palatka city commissioners and city employees have worked hard to provide the city with the most professional and effective services during this global pandemic,” the press release said. “This arrangement has worked wonderfully until a recent outbreak of COVID-19 among city employees at City Hall and the Recreation Department.”