LIST: Clay County coronavirus status and impact

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – Here is what Clay County residents need to know amid the coronavirus pandemic:

Schools

With students at Florida K-12 schools not scheduled to return to campus until at least April 15, Clay County students will begin online learning when they return from their spring break on Tuesday, March 31.

The district is collaborating with the Clay County Education Association to develop extended distance learning opportunities during the closure. To help plan for distance learning opportunities, Broskie asked parents to fill out an online survey. Families who are in need of technology for students and distance learning can submit requests for Chromebooks here.

Breakfast and lunch for students will be provided to students during school closures. Breakfast will be served from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. and lunch will be served from noon to 1 p.m. Meals will be prepackaged and distributed at the parent pick-up or bus loop to be consumed off-site. Children must be present to receive their meal. The preferred way to distribute meals is by vehicle, however, foot traffic is allowed if necessary.

Meal services will resume on the following dates:

• March 31 - April 2 (no meal service on March 30 or April 3)
• April 6-9 (no meal service on April 10)

Meals distribution has been expanded from seven to 14 schools. A list of these locations and other resources is available are OneClay.net/coronavirus.

Individuals with any questions can contact the call center at 904-336-0090.

Call centers

The Emergency Operations Center has activated a call center to answer questions from the public. Clay County residents can call 877-252-9362 from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. daily. The State of Florida Department of Health 24-hour call center is available at 866-779-6121.

Social distancing expanded to physical distancing

The Clay County Board of County Commissioners will follow all directives from the Florida Department of Health and will recommend guidelines provided by the Centers for Disease Control to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus.

Many individuals may spread the Coronavirus before symptoms develop or with only very mild symptoms. To stop the spread of the virus, the following guidelines should be followed:

• Avoid public gatherings of more than 10 people, including gatherings in the home.
• Avoid discretionary travel, domestic and abroad.
• By statewide order, all restaurants must serve food only for takeout or delivery.
• If you are sick, stay home.
• If any member of your household has been diagnosed with the coronavirus, all members of the household should quarantine at home for 14 days.

Fire stations limiting public access

All Clay County Fire Stations will be providing limited public access for walk-up assistance, until further notice. If you have an emergency, dial 911 for assistance.

Closure of senior centers

Effective March 18, Clay County senior centers have closed to the public and suspended all programming and activities for at least 30 days. To-Go meals will be provided Monday –Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the client’s registered center. Meals will be brought out to the client’s vehicle for their convenience. If a registered participant is unable to come to the center the client should contact their center to request a week’s supply of frozen or shelf-stable meals.

• Orange Park Center, 414 Stowe Ave. – 904-269-4731
• Green Cove Springs/Clayton and Mildred Revels Center, 604 Walnut St. – 904-284-3134
• Middleburg Senior Center – 904-291-3520
• Keystone Heights Senior Center – 352-473-7121

If you are not a registered participant and feel like you are in need of services, please contact your area senior center for assistance. Individuals must be at least 60 years old and meet the Florida Department of Elder Affairs requirements in order to qualify. An over-the-phone assessment will be conducted to determine eligibility. If any other services are needed, please call 904-284-3134 for any additional information.

From March 18 – March 25, the following services have been provided to registered Seniors:

• Middleburg – 64 Meals-To-Go
• Orange Park – 127 Meals-To-Go
• Green Cove Springs – 189 Meals-To-Go
• Keystone Heights – 271 Meals-To-Go
• Home delivered meals throughout Clay County – 1,219
• A total of 1,870 hot meals to Clay County Seniors.

Florida Department of Health in Clay County

The Department of Health in Clay County’s Green Cove Springs Administrative Office on 1305 Idlewild Avenue is closed to the public. Call 904-529-2800 for additional information and services.

Customers can order Florida Birth and Death Certificates online at www.vitalchek.com.

The Bear Run Clinic located at 3229 Bear Run Boulevard, Orange Park will remain open regular hours, Monday through Friday 8 a.m. through 5 p.m.

The Department of Health’s Women, Infant and Children’s (WIC) department is encouraging clients to stay home, practice social distancing and conduct services over the phone through May 31. While physical offices are closed to walk-in traffic through May 31, WIC will provide services by phone or car side in the parking lot to those who need it.

Clay County Tax Collector’s Office

All Clay County Tax Collector office locations are closed to the public until further notice. Customers can continue to complete transactions online at https://www.claycountytax.com/ or by mail. Please contact the Tax Collector’s call center at 904-269-6320 for more information.

The Department of Revenue has authorized that citizens and businesses paying property taxes in all Florida counties have an extension from March 31 to April 15.

Clay County Property Appraiser

The Property Appraiser’s Office will be closed to the public for walk-in services until further notice. Staff is available by telephone at 904-269-6305 or email https://ccpao.com/contact-us/ during normal business hours. Visit the website https://ccpao.com/ for more information.

Clay County Clerk of Courts & Clay County Courthouse

• Beginning March 23, and continuing through April 10, public entry into the Clay County Courthouse will be strictly limited to essential business only and will require a screening process. Visit the Clerk’s Coronavirus page at www.clayclerk.com for restrictions or call (904) 269-6302.
• A drop-box system is now available for public use at the Clay County Courthouse main lobby entrance in Green Cove Springs. Documents and payments placed into these secure boxes will be received, dated, and stamped same day.
• All Clerk of Court branch offices are closed (Orange Park, Middleburg and Keystone Heights) through April 10.
• Online resources are available at www.clayclerk.com or call 904-269-6302 for services by phone.
• Clerk of Court Tara S. Green expanded Payment Plan eligibility to help citizens stay up to date with court obligations during uncertain financial times. The Payment Plan application can now be found online at www.clayclerk.com.
• All grand jury proceedings, criminal jury selection proceedings, and criminal jury trials are suspended through Friday, March 27, or until further notice. All civil jury trials are suspended through May 1.
• Passport application processing services are suspended until May 4, unless otherwise notified. Please visit www.travel.state.gov to view updates regarding nationwide passport application processing services.
• Small Claims Court scheduled for April 1, is now scheduled for May 13.

Supervisor of Elections

• The Clay County Supervisor of Elections Office is limiting public access to the building. Citizens and candidates are encouraged to use www.ClayElections.gov, as the majority of tasks such as registering to vote, confirming or updating your registration status, requesting Vote-by-Mail Ballot, updating a signature and more, can be completed online.
• Citizens wanting to do business in person with the Elections Office or candidates wishing to submit Candidate Petitions for verification should call 904-269-6350 to make an appointment.

Clay County Sheriff’s Office

• The Clay County Sheriff’s Office is not receiving inmate transfers from other Florida jails.
• Visitation will be canceled for 14 days beginning March 23, except for legal counsel.
• Staff dining will be open for meal preparation. Meals are to-go only.
• All inmate programs are suspended except for court-mandated Batterers Intervention.
• Anyone requesting entrance into the facility is required to go through a screening process. This applies to employees each day they report to work. The ARC room supervisor maintains documentation and tracking information.
• Inmates received into the facility after arrest are screened prior to acceptance into the facility. An additional screening takes place when processed.
• Additional sanitation stations are installed at each of the entrances to the facility. Hourly, staff disinfects the entrance and exits to include door handles and access buttons.
• Inmates processed into the facility prior to and up to 24 hours after receipt will be held in a primary dorm. After 24 hours, they transition to a secondary dorm, where they remain for a period of 14 days. After the quarantine period, inmates are then allowed to transition into general population.
• Deputy post assignments are restricted. Deputies are assigned a permanent post to prevent unnecessary diversity in the deputy/inmate interaction.
• Additional disinfecting of the housing units is taking place each shift.
• The lobby is closed to the public with limited access to bondsmen and for emergencies.
• Employment interviews will be suspended until April 6
• Fingerprinting services are suspended until further notice.

Chamber of Commerce

Has been mobilized to help businesses, even non-chamber members, during this time. Information on small business loans and requests for help can be found here.

Clay County government operations

• The Clay County Local State of Emergency was extended through April 3 and will be extended as necessary.
• The Clay County Board of County Commissioners has limited public access to County buildings.
• Call the Clay County government switchboard Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. till 4:30 p.m. at 904-284-6300 to schedule an appointment. You will be prompted to select a County department or Constitutional Officer. You may also call the department directly:

o Building Department: 904-529-5394

o Health Department: 904-529-3784

o Planning & Zoning: 904-541-3814

o SHIP: 904-278-4700

o Code Enforcement -- no public appointments. Please call 904-284-6310 or email Code.enforcement@claycountygov.com.

o Engineering and Public Works: 904-284-6335

o Clay County Animal Services: 904-269-6342

o UF/IFAS Extension 904-284-6355

• A locked collection box is available at the front counter on the first floor of the County Administration Building located, at 477 Houston Street in Green Cove Springs. Customers can leave documents and payments securely. The items will be collected several times daily.
• All County Board, Committee and other County meetings are canceled through April 13.
• www.ClayCountyGov.com — the Clay County Board of County Commissioners website spotlight has been updated to show the most recent COVID-19 updates.
• Clay County parks, boat ramps and kayak launches are still open for individual use until sundown but gatherings should be limited to 10 people or less. On March 30, county officials took playgrounds and ball courts off-limits, so only the green spaces are available for public use.
• No reservations for facilities will be taken at this time. The use of water fountains and restrooms is strongly discouraged, and use is at your own risk. Individuals are strongly encouraged to sanitize any high-touch surfaces before use with a household cleaning spray or wipe, according to the label instructions.
• All Clay County Public Libraries will be closed through April 17 and will be re-evaluated at that time. There is a list of distance learning resources available including story time readings, webcasts, learning games, a new periodical service, and much more. Visit http://www.claycountygov.com/departments/library/distance-learning-resources to view these resources.
• Curbside Collection services for garbage, yard waste and recyclables in Clay County will continue to operate as scheduled. Clay County and Advanced Disposal are asking residents to take two simple steps to keep collection running smoothly and help reduce the spread of COVID-19. One, bag all household garbage before placing it curbside to reduce exposure to waste. Two, place all materials curbside the night before your scheduled pickup. Trucks may arrive earlier than usual in some areas due to staggered shifts. These two things can help minimize the exposure to sanitation workers and help practice social distancing in staffing. Recyclables should be placed securely in the recycle bin and not bagged. Residents are encouraged to utilize curbside collection services to avoid long lines at the Rosemary Hill Solid Waste Management Facility.
• Clay County Animal Services will allow only limited public access to the shelter in Green Cove Springs. Call 904-269-6342 to schedule an appointment for owner reclaims and foster pick-ups. Visit https://www.claycountygov.com/departments/animal-services for current information on animals in the shelter.

State parks & forests

• At the direction of Gov. Ron DeSantis and to successfully uphold the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance to maximize social distancing and avoid gatherings larger than 10 people, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection will close all Florida State Parks to the public. More information is available at https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/mike-roess-gold-head-branch-state-park.
• All overnight camping reservations at St. Johns River Water Management District lands will be canceled for the next 30 days. Most district lands, including Bayard Conservation Area and Black Creek Conservation Area in Clay County, remain open for day use from sunrise to sunset. Visit www.sjrwmd.com/lands/recreation/announcements/ for more information.
• Jennings and Belmore State Forests in Clay County remain open for day use. All Florida Forest Service Facilities, including recreation facilities, are closed until further notice. Day-use recreation fees at all state forests have been waived until Sunday, April 19. For more information, go to https://www.fdacs.gov/Divisions-Offices/Florida-Forest-Service/Our-Forests/State-Forests/Jennings-State-Forest.

Penney Farms

Town Hall is open for business from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

All parks are currently open.

Call 904-529-9078 for more information.

Orange Park

The Town of Orange Park, in an effort to promote the health and well-being of its residents and visitors and out of an abundance of caution, has closed all Town parks and canceled all park facility reservations through at least April 15. This includes the following parks:

• Town Hall Park & Playground located at 2042 Park Ave.
• Clarke House Park located at 1039 Kingsley Ave.
• Orange Park Sports & Recreation Park located at 1101 Gano Ave., to include the ball fields, tennis courts and playground areas.
• Orange Park Skateboard Park located at 1006 Fromhart St.
• TC Miller Community Center & Recreation Park located at 440 McIntosh Ave. This include the basketball courts.
• Somer’s Sunshine Park located at the corner of Gano Ave. and DeBarry Ave.
• At this time, Magnolia Cemetery will remain open. Magnolia Cemetery is located at 1040 Kingsley Ave.

Residents are encouraged to use the online services at www.TownOfOrangePark.com to pay utility bills, schedule building inspections, or report code violations.

The Town of Orange Park, out of an abundance of caution and the desire to protect its staff, residents and guests, will close Town Hall to walk-ins effective Friday, March 27, until further notice. Staff is still available by phone at 904-264-9565. Anyone needing to do business in person should call to make an appointment. Appointments can be made Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

During this time, the city encourages its residents to use its online services. The Town offers a robust website and utility bill payment options. Visit www.TownOfOrangePark.com. Click on the “Utility Payments” button in the center of the homepage. Other online services include scheduling building inspections and reporting code violations. A payment drop box is also located in the Town Hall parking lot.

Please follow the Town of Orange Park Facebook page for Town-specific announcements. Please contact the Clay County Emergency Management Hotline for questions related to COVID-19 at 877-252-9362.

Keystone Heights

All Keystone Heights City Parks are currently open, however, in an abundance of caution, no new reservations for the Beach Pavilion will be taken until further notice. Park users are strongly advised to keep gatherings to less than 10 people and to follow the social distancing guidelines provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (maintaining a distance of 6 feet from others).

Contact an administrative assistant at frontdesk@keystoneheights.us or 352.473.4807 for more information.

Green Cove Springs

The City of Green Cove Springs administration is working to address increasing concerns and mitigate the impact of the coronavirus on our utility customers. Starting Thursday, March 26, the City will be suspending utility disconnections on past-due accounts until April 30.

The City encourages customers to continue paying toward their bill if they are able to do so. Current amounts due and future charges will still be owed.

Any customers with any questions or concerns about their bill can call the City’s Customer Service Department at 904-297-7500, ext. 3300 or email at customerservice@greencovesprings.com. Customer Service Department is only available by phone or email 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

Out of an abundance of caution to protect the health and safety of staff, residents and the public, Green Cove Springs City Hall, police department lobby and public works lobby will be closed to the public indefinitely starting Monday, March 30.

All City departments, public works, police department, and customer service can still be reached by phone or email. The Customer Service drive-through is still open to take utility bill and permit payments in person. Residents can also use the City’s online services for utility payments. Contact City Customer Service Department for any questions or concerns about utility billing by phone at 904-297-7500, ext. 3300 or by email at customerservice@greencovesprings.com.

City of Green Cove Springs will continue to inform the public of any updates through the City website www.greencovesprings.com, City’s Facebook (Green Cove Springs City Government) and Twitter (@gcsTODAY). Please contact the Clay County Emergency Management Hotline for questions related to COVID-19 at 877-252-9362.