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ELKINS -- Elkins City Council will return to virtual meetings due to local COVID-19 numbers increasing, a city press release announced Wednesday afternoon.
City officials also announced that the Elkins Fire Department will be closed to the public until further notice, but will continue operating normally, and that Elkins Municipal Court will operate on a limited schedule through the end of the year.
In an emergency order, Elkins Mayor Van Broughton noted that about 30 people attended the last Elkins City Council meeting on Dec. 3, which was in violation of Gov. Jim Justice's order limiting indoor gatherings to no more than 25 people.
Broughton also noted that Justice has asked those 65 and older -- "those most prone to dying from COVID-19 -- to self-isolate for the next few weeks."
The mayor "has ordered a return to virtual council and committee meetings for at least the month of December," the city press release states, noting that login information for the virtual meetings will be posted on the city's website at least two days before each meeting.
"Although several of the city's virtual meetings were affected by technical issues during the summer, elected officials were recently issued new laptops that it is hoped will reduce such problems now," the release states.
"I believe that (meeting virtually) is a small sacrifice to make to ensure that we all--elected officials, appointed officials, staff, and members of the public--can spend the holidays with our loved ones," Broughton said in his order. "Please remember that we are all in this together and only by working together will we succeed."
"Randolph County's coronavirus infection rate has been above 40 cases per 100,000 for about the last two weeks and currently stands at 46.3 per 100,000," the release states. "At the governor's Monday coronavirus briefing, W.Va. DHHR Secretary Bill Crouch advised people in counties with low positive test rates but high infection rates, such as Randolph County, to consider that they are at 'high risk' of infection and to take appropriate precautions."
"Municipal court personnel advise that individuals needing to set up payment schedules, submit plea documents, or meet with the judge should request an appointment by leaving a message at 304-636-1414, ext. 1529," the release continues. "Court-related payments may be mailed to city hall, to the attention of the municipal court clerk, or left in the payment drop box behind city hall. Online payment of court-related fees and fines is also available: www.municipalonlinepayments.com/elkinswv."