Hanover
County has joined with its fellow government partners in the Richmond region to
declare a local state of emergency due to the Coronavirus, called COVID-19.
The state of
emergency designation gives public safety agencies more flexibility to work seamlessly
with surrounding jurisdictions, streamlines procedures to enable Hanover to
procure necessary supplies in a more efficient manner and gives the counties
access to state and federal emergency funding.
A joint
press conference on March 13 featured speakers from Hanover, Chesterfield,
Henrico, Goochland, the City of Richmond and Henrico/Richmond Health District
Director Danny Avula expressing their determination to work together to protect
the health and welfare of the region’s residents.
“The health and safety of all our residents
is our primary concern,” said Hanover Board of Supervisors Vice Chairman Sean
Davis. “Therefore, I think it is important that Hanover County declare a Local
State of Emergency, joining with our regional neighbors to share our resources
and coordinate our efforts.”
Hanover County leaders join with their
colleagues in urging residents to avoid large gatherings of 250 people or more
and change their normal social interactions to avoid doing things like shaking
hands. On a personal level, continue to minimize touching your eyes, nose and
mouth.
“These are acts of prevention and
compassion and preparation,” Avula said. A primary goal of all regional
partners is to “flatten the curve” and reduce the number of people affected by
the virus so that the number of cases at one time does not overwhelm local
health care systems.
Hanover County Administrator Cecil R.
Harris Jr. emphasized that no changes are anticipated in the services offered
by Hanover County government. The County has business contingency plans
intended to address local emergencies.
“The declaration of local emergency is
intended to help maintain the local government services we provide to our
residents,” Harris said.
Regional public safety efforts are being
directed by the Central Virginia All Hazards Incident Management Team.
The County’s website at www.hanovercounty.gov is regularly updated with information on COVID1-
issues of importance, along with the County’s Facebook and Twitter feeds. To
get email updates subscribe to Hanover Access News on the homepage at www.hanovercounty.gov