Douglas County information about services, response to coronavirus

Douglas County’s top priority is protecting the health and well-being of our community and workforce. Many departments are coordinating the county’s preparedness, response plans and communication efforts, including Douglas County Emergency Management, Administration, District Court, Buildings and Maintenance, GIS, Sheriff’s Office, Human Resources and others.

Douglas County is working closely with Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and other community agencies, including city governments, schools and universities, health care providers, law enforcement and human service providers. Our goal is to help prevent spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) and keep residents healthy and safe.

On March 17, Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health announced the first case of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Douglas County, and Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly issued an order to close all K-12 schools in the state for the remainder of the school year. As of 8 p.m. March 22, Douglas County had four confirmed cases of COVID-19.

On March 22, Douglas County Health Officer Dr. Thomas Marcellino issued a "stay-at-home" order for Douglas County that will take effect at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, March 24. Grocery stores, pharmacies, gas stations and health care facilities will remain open as residents are ordered to remain home except for essential needs. The order is effective until April 23, unless otherwise amended.

Following Marcellino's guidance, Douglas County is restricting public access to all Douglas County buildings until further notice. Douglas County is continuing to work to provide essential services. Many services are available online at https://dgcoks.gov.

The new public access restrictions apply to the following Douglas County buildings:

• Douglas County Courthouse, 1100 Massachusetts St. – Treasurer’s Office, County Clerk’s Office, Register of Deeds, Appraiser, GIS and Administration. The Courthouse will be opened to the public for meetings of the Board of County Commissioners in accordance with the Kansas Open Meetings Act. Information about meetings will be posted on the website at https://dgcoks.gov/commission/meetings.
• 1006 New Hampshire – Criminal Justice Services, Community Corrections, Community Service, Sustainability and Heritage Conservation Council.
• Douglas County Fairgrounds buildings and arenas, 2120 Harper St. K-State Research and Extension – Douglas County will make decisions about its operations.
• Douglas County Public Works and Zoning and Codes, 3755 E. 25th St.
• 2518 Ridge Court – Human service agencies housed inside the building will make decisions about their operations. For questions, please contact the agency.

All satellite locations for the Treasurer’s Office - two in Lawrence and one in Baldwin City - will be closed.

Additionally, public access to the Douglas County Judicial and Law Enforcement Center is limited.

Local Coronavirus Information

This is an ongoing situation and information is changing rapidly. For the most up-to-date information about coronavirus (COVID-19), visit:

• Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health — ldchealth.org/coronavirus
• Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) — kdheks.gov/coronavirus
• U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) — cdc.gov/coronavirus

If you have health concerns, please call your health care provider or an urgent care center. For general questions about coronavirus, contact KDHE by email COVID-19@ks.gov or call the hotline at 1-866-534-3463. Douglas County residents can also call Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health’s coronavirus line at 785-856-4343.

If you need resources, please call 2-1-1. Douglas County residents can be connected to services and programs on everything from food pantries to health and counseling services. United Way of Kansas 2-1-1 is free, confidential and answered 24/7.

For those feeling anxious, fearful, depressed, isolated - you are not alone! Douglas County offers an online tool called myStrength that is available 24/7 and it's free! To sign up for a confidential account, visit https://mystrength.com and use access code: DouglasCounty. MyStrength offers a variety of programs, including: mindfulness and meditation, improving sleep, reducing stress, controlling anxiety, managing depression and balancing intense emotions.