08/29/2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 26, 2021
Contact: AJ Robinson
Director of Communications
[email protected]
Tazewell, Virginia – County Administrator Eric Young announced the Tazewell County Department of Emergency Management (TCEM) declared a local state of emergency on Wednesday, August 25, 2021, at 5:19 pm. The decision was based on the County’s increasing COVID case count and stress on the local health care system.
Chairman of the Board Tom Lester stated, “This decision is a preventative measure to keep Tazewell County open and our residents safe by expanding the County’s ability to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The new declaration will give Tazewell County the ability to swiftly adopt emergency public health measures to protect the safety and wellbeing of residents, assist the County in requesting additional resources from the state and federal governments to support response and recovery efforts and quickly obtain materials and supplies necessary for protecting the health of the public. The declaration will remain in effect until terminated by the Tazewell County Board of Supervisors.
The County’s last local declaration ended in June 2021, when the daily cases count average over a two-week period was less than seven cases per day, well within the capacity of the County’s local medical facilities to accommodate any cases which would require medical care. The County has recently seen a significant rise. The average number of COVID-19 cases reported for the seven days immediately prior to this declaration was 19 cases per day. This was up from 4 cases the first week of July.
County Administrator and Director of Emergency Management, Eric Young, expects the number to go higher, “This declaration is more about where we are headed than where we are. The Delta Variant spreads more easily, and this case count will rise much faster than last fall. Also, without Bluefield Regional Medical Center, COVID will stress our local health care systems quickly and they already are treating an increasing number of COVID patients."
Young again implored residents to heed the warnings of the CDC and VDH, "Your actions play an important role in keeping hospital capacity available to you and your loved ones who may need it for any emergency, not just COVID. Please remember just because you did not get COVID last year that does not mean you won't catch it this time; vaccinated persons can still carry the disease and should still wear a mask to keep from spreading it; and unvaccinated persons should get vaccinated.”
Vaccinations are widely available in Tazewell County and residents are urged to get vaccinated. Vaccination sites may be located by visiting vaccinefinder.org. Tazewell County is also encouraging residents to wear a mask indoors and at public gatherings, frequently wash hands and avoid large crowds. Residents are reminded that those who are vaccinated can still carry the virus, potentially transmitting it to those who are not vaccinated, including small children for whom the vaccine is unavailable. Vaccinated residents are also encouraged to wear a mask to protect those around them.
The declaration did not close County offices to the public. They will remain open; however, visitors are asked to wear a facial covering when inside the buildings. If officials see a lack of compliance, the policy will be reevaluated to determine if a closure is needed.
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