The Orange County government recently shared plans to gradually reopen county facilities to the public in July, marking one of its final stages of transition from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The local government said in a release on Tuesday it will begin a phased approach to opening certain departments and resources based on the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, and the Orange County Health Department. Titled the Orange County Transformation Plan, county residents will see some facilities reopen without mask requirements for those who are vaccinated.

“The goal is to open county facilities and services in a way that better serves residents, promotes efficiency and safety for our customers and staff, and offers employees an opportunity to work differently,” County Manager Bonnie Hammersley said in a release. “We’re calling this a Transformation Plan instead of a reopening, because we are changing how we conduct business with the public.”

Starting Thursday July 1, Orange County Public Transportation, Child Support Services, the county’s visitors bureau and Salvage Sheds at all county waste and recycling centers will all open to walk-in traffic with some social distancing measures but no mask requirements. The Department on Aging will reopen to the public at a reduced capacity and with face covering requirements for all. Each department and resource will have specific cleaning protocols in place, according to the local government.

More places will open later in July. The Main Library building in Hillsborough will open with social distancing requirements on July 6, with adjusted hours to provide time for cleaning. The Shred Center at 1207 Eubanks Road will reopen July 7, with Orange County residents able to drop-off up to two boxes of confidential documents to be shredded on-site. Meanwhile, the Register of Deeds office and Tax Administration office will open to the public again on July 12.

Orange County said face coverings will still be required for individuals who are unvaccinated against COVID-19, unless superseded by state or federal requirements. Employees who work in transportation, medical and dental care, in-home visitation and industries that serve children are also requested to continue using masks. Social distancing, or maintaining six feet of space between individuals, will also be required in waiting areas and other indoor settings.

The county government said all outdoor venues are allowed to open at fully capacity.

Orange County recently extended its state of emergency declaration, initially put in place for COVID-19 response, to match North Carolina’s extension of its own state of emergency. The order means the county will continue following the state’s guidelines on face masks and social distancing. All local governments in Orange County have acted under a state of emergency since March 2020 in an effort to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.

To learn more about the Orange County Transformation Plan and its departments’ reopening, visit the county government’s website.

 

Photo via the Orange County government.

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