Press release from Goochland County
For Immediate Release
Contact:
March 13, 2020 Paul E. Drumwright
Administrative Services Manager
Phone: (804) 556-5833
Cell: (804) 338-5464
Email: pdrumwright@goochlandva.us
Goochland County Declares a Local State of Emergency in Response to COVID-19
Goochland, VA – On Friday morning, March 13th, Goochland County in conjunction with our regional
partners, Chesterfield, Hanover, Henrico, and the City of Richmond declared a state of local emergency in
response to the continued spread of novel coronavirus, or COVID-19. This action allows us to take
additional steps as a region to dedicate resources and protect our communities. Although there are no
presumed positive cases of COVID-19 in Goochland at this time, we are working in collaboration with our
regional partners to be proactive and mitigate the risk of any potential spread. Local strategies will be
implemented to limit large crowds and practice social distancing.
We are participating in the Central Virginia All Hazards Incident Management Team which has been
activated with emergency managers, first responders, health experts, and public information professionals
reviewing roles and responsibilities. As a region, all are committed to working with our state and local
partners to safeguard our residents and make sure we share the most current information available.
Working together as a region our top priority is to make sure our residents and visitors stay safe and
healthy.
Effective immediately Goochland County is closing all county facilities to use by the public after normal
business hours (8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.) this includes evenings and weekends. The county’s Convenience
Centers & Parks will remain open normal hours. Additionally, the county is cancelling all non-essential
public meetings, including the upcoming town halls, through March 31st
.
We are encouraging community groups and organizations to cancel or reschedule all large group
gatherings through at least March 31st. In addition, we are encouraging outside groups to cancel any
planned events at all outside Goochland County Parks and Recreation Facilities.
Employee work-related travel outside of Goochland County, except for essential business, is being
restricted until further notice.
The County is taking additional efforts to protect our employees, citizens, and guests by expanding
cleaning efforts for all our buildings during the day and when county facilities are closed, including
additional deep cleanings in the evenings.
The County is also implementing a compassionate billing policy for all Utility customers, until further notice
no customers will have their water or sewer service shut off.
GOOCHLAND COUNT Y PRESS RELEASE
Ph: 804.556.5800 Fx: 804.556.4617
1800 Sandy Hook Road ● P.O. Box 10 ● Goochland VA 23063
www.goochlandva.us
Individuals who dial 911 will expect to be asked additional questions as part of the Emergency Medical
Dispatch protocols that have been put into place by Goochland County Sheriff’s Office and Goochland
County Fire-Rescue. We appreciate all individuals answering those questions to the best of their ability.
Some recommended precautions individuals can help slow the spread of the virus include:
• Wash your hands frequently, cough or sneeze into a tissue if possible, or your arm if not, and wash
your hands afterward;
• Frequently clean commonly used surfaces (i.e., phones, keyboards, etc.);
• Avoid large gatherings and practice social distancing;
• If you are not feeling well, please stay home and notify your supervisor promptly. Please do not
return to work until you are feeling well and free from fever for at least 24 hours;
• If you begin to experience flu-like symptoms (fever, chills) or have respiratory issues (shortness of
breath, cough), please contact your Primary Care Physician.
Through continued preparation and collaboration between localities guided by the Central Virginia All
Hazards Incident Management Team we will continue to monitor this pandemic support each other in our
regional response.
We understand this is an unusual, inconvenient and perhaps frightening time. But it’s critical that everyone
remain calm, stay informed and follow the CDC’s safety recommendations. Goochland County will continue
to provide updates on our website, www.goochlandva.us, as well as on the Goochland County Government
accounts on Facebook and Twitter.
We encourage everyone who lives or works in Goochland to sign up for Goochland’s CodeRED Emergency
Alert System. The system is used to communicate both with citizens and visitors both during emergencies
and other critical community events. In addition, the system allows citizens to opt in to receive National
Weather Service (NWS) alerts automatically when a weather event (flood, tornado, etc.) is triggered in a
targeted area of the County. For more information and to sign up visit:
https://public.coderedweb.com/CNE/en-US/1380BACA5A57 or you can now enroll by texting
GOOCHLANDALERTS to 99411.
The Virginia Department of Health’s has established a public information line, 1-877-ASK-VDH3, for
questions from residents about the novel coronavirus situation. This is a rapidly changing situation; we
recommend citizens use the following trusted websites for information updates.
Central Virginia All Hazards Incident Management Team (CVAHIMT) COVID-19: https://arcg.is/0qn194
Virginia Department of Health: www.vdh.virginia.gov/coronavirus
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/
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