Mecklenburg County Rolls Back Some Services Amid COVID Spread

CHARLOTTE, NC — Mecklenburg County is rolling back some services beginning Friday due to the continued rise in coronavirus cases throughout the community, county officials said Thursday afternoon.

Earlier this week, county public health officials reported an average of 900 new COVID-19 cases a day in Mecklenburg County, up from about 100 cases a day reported in September.

"We are basically going back to where County services were during the Stay-at-Home Order last spring," County Manager Dena Diorio said. "Our COVID numbers are going up, not down, so for the next three weeks, only essential and mandated services that cannot be performed virtually will be provided in-person."

SEE ALSO: Mecklenburg Directive Calls For 3 Weeks Of Remote Work, School

The list of reduced in-person services in the county, such as some library and park services, comes on the heels of a new countywide directive issued by Mecklenburg County Public Health Director Gibbie Harris, urging county residents to only leave their homes for essential activities.

Harris also said schools and jobs should utilize all virtual options available for the next three weeks — a move Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools heeded. In an emergency meeting Thursday morning, CMS officials decided that students would remain remote through Feb. 12.

"Everyone needs to limit their exposure to others for the next three weeks if we're to be successful in getting this pandemic under control," Harris said.

Here is a list of In-Person Services that will be reduced in Mecklenburg County through Feb. 2, 2021:

• Public Health – Various programs and clinics may be rescheduled or delayed. Call the Public Health Hotline at 980-314-9400 for COVID-19 information and visit MeckNC.gov for updates on affected services
• Park and Recreation – All indoor services temporarily suspended though parks will remain open. For a complete list of changes, visit MeckNC.gov. Additional changes include:
  • Parks – closing at dusk
  • Athletic Fields – Reservations are not being accepted at this time
  • Outdoor shelters are open on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations are not being accepted and group members who do not share a household may not gather.
• Amenities closed to the public:
  
  • All Recreation, Senior and Nature Centers
  • Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center
  • Indoor Shelters
  • Camping at McDowell Nature Preserve
  • The Skatepark at Naomi Drenan Recreation Center
• Charlotte Mecklenburg Library — Beginning Friday, Jan. 15, 2021 the Library will roll back services to a modified Phase 1, effective through Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2021. Customers will be able to pick up holds, mobile prints and quick pick-ups outside locations without entering Library buildings. Check the website for the status of specific library programs.
• Office of the Tax Collector — In-person payments at the Valerie C. Woodard Center will be temporarily suspended
• Board of County Commissioners — Meetings will be entirely virtual, including the Board's Budget Retreat January 27-29.
• County Assessor's Office (CAO) — All services will be virtual. For assistance, please call 980-314-4226.
• Child Support — Child Support Services will be all virtual or by phone until the beginning of March. Customers may conveniently access our services through the options below:
  • Call to 704-432-9300, option 7
  • Mail or drop off correspondence at 5800 Executive Center Drive Suite 200 Charlotte NC 28212 or 3205 Freedom Drive Suite 1000 Charlotte NC 28208
  • Online - childsupportezapply.com. to apply for child support services.

• Domestic Violence Services — Some services being provided by appointment only. Please call 704-336-3210 to schedule an appointment.
• Veterans Services — Some services will continue by appointment. Call 704-336-2102 to check. For questions send an email to:CSSCommunications@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov
• Criminal Justice Services — Some services will still be in-person such as pre-trial release and forensic evaluations but by appointment only. For more information or questions, please call 980-314-1750. Clients may also contact their case managers directly.

• Department of Social Services (DSS) — Staff will be available virtually with limited on-site support. However, we are still providing all of our services by telephone, mail, and online. If you want to file an application for benefits, call 704-336-3000 to apply by phone. The date you call us will be used as your date of application even if we have to mail the application to you. You can also apply for some programs online. If you are turning in paperwork at our office (301 Billingsley Road, Charlotte), place it in the gray drop box in the parking area. If you came to our office because of a deadline or for an appointment, we will not cut off your benefits or penalize you. If you want to file an appeal, you can do that by calling 704-336-3000. If you would like to report a change, call us 704-336-3000. If you have an emergency, be sure to mention that when you call. Please visit the DSS website for more detailed information on COVID-19 related impacts.

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