Effective immediately, residents needing to conduct business inside the Starke County Courthouse or Annex buildings will have to call ahead and get an appointment. The Starke County Commissioners approved an order Monday night restricting public access to all county buildings due to a heightened community spread of COVID-19. The order will be reviewed during the commissioners’ next meeting on Monday, December 7.
Residents may access Starke County’s government website at www.co.starke.in.us to obtain information, email a certain individual, or call an office to conduct official business. Appointments can be made to see a department head by calling that office.
The commissioners also commented that the local mask mandate remains in effect. Residents are urged to wear masks in public spaces. Patrons and employees must wear a mask inside the county buildings.
If residents refuse to wear a mask inside the county buildings, business may be conducted outside of the building.
Additionally, the commissioners allowed employees to obtain a doctor’s note to go back to work after COVID isolation. It was noted that some employees have voiced concerns when a COVID-19 positive person returns to work without a negative test result. Starke County Health Nurse Frank Lynch suggested that the county follow the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines when determining the recommended time to return to work after isolation. The CDC suggests returning after 10 days from when the symptoms first appeared, 24 hours with no fever without the use of fever-reducing medications, and when other symptoms of COVID-19 are improving. According to the CDC’s website, the loss of taste and smell may persist for weeks or months after recovery. Even though those symptoms may linger, it would be permissible to return to work.
Lynch stated that Starke County has the highest positivity rate compared to surrounding counties. He urges residents to wear a mask, maintain a social distance, wash hands frequently throughout the day, disinfect high touch surfaces, and use hand sanitizer.
