Slow the Spread

To slow the spread of COVID-19 (The Corona Virus), please take social distancing and good hygiene seriously! On this page, we will update you with information for prevention and steps to take if you think you may have contracted the virus.

Notice from Billy Joe Driver, Clanton Mayor:

City of Clanton Mayor Billy Joe Driver would like to remind residents that, with the exception of the walking tracks, all City of Clanton park facilities are closed until further notice in compliance with directives of the Governor of Alabama and state health officials. Walking tracks can be utilized only if individuals maintain a minimum distance of six (6) feet from others utilizing the track.

 Mayor Driver is also asking for the assistance of residents in complying with federal and state directives that prohibit gatherings of 10 or more people. Any assembly of less that 10 people must adhere to the Social Distance Rule of six (6) feet of separation.

Working together to minimize the spread of the COVID-19 virus will help our community return to normal activities in the shortest time possible. Remember to Do the Five: Wash hands often; If you have to cough, cough into your elbow; Don’t touch your face; Keep a safe distance; and stay home if possible.

Your cooperation during this difficult and challenging time is appreciated. 

Here is what the CDC recommends if you are sick.  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/steps-when-sick.html

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If you have a fever or cough, you might have COVID-19. Most people have mild illness and are able to recover at home. Keep track of your symptoms. If you have an emergency warning sign (including trouble breathing), get medical attention right away.

Steps to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 if you are sick

Follow the steps below:  If you are sick with COVID-19 or think you might have COVID-19, follow the steps below to care for yourself and to help protect other people in your home and community.

Stay home except to get medical care

• Stay home: Most people with COVID-19 have mild illness and are able to recover at home without medical care. Do not leave your home, except to get medical care. Do not visit public areas.
• Stay in touch with your doctor. Call before you get medical care. Be sure to get care if you have trouble breathing, or have any other emergency warning signs, or if you think it is an emergency.
• Avoid public transportation: Avoid using public transportation, ride-sharing, or taxis.

Separate yourself from other people in your home, this is known as home isolation

• Stay away from others: As much as possible, you stay away from others. You should stay in a specific “sick room” if possible, and away from other people in your home. Use a separate bathroom, if available.
  • See COVID-19 and Animals is you have questions about pets.

If someone in your home is sick

Call ahead before visiting your doctor

• Call ahead: Many medical visits for routine care are being postponed or done by phone or telemedicine.
• If you have a medical appointment that cannot be postponed, call your doctor’s office, and tell them you have or may have COVID-19. This will help the office protect themselves and other patients.

If you are sick wear a facemask in the following situations, if available.

• If you are sick: You should wear a facemask, if available, when you are around other people (including before you enter a healthcare provider’s office).
• If you are caring for others: If the person who is sick is not able to wear a facemask (for example, because it causes trouble breathing), then as their caregiver, you should wear a facemask when in the same room with them. Visitors, other than caregivers, are not recommended.

Note: During a public health emergency, facemasks may be reserved for healthcare workers. You may need to improvise a facemask using a scarf or bandana.

Cover your coughs and sneezes

• Cover: Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
• Dispose: Throw used tissues in a lined trash can.
• Wash hands: Immediately wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.

Clean your hands often

• Wash hands: Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. This is especially important after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing; going to the bathroom; and before eating or preparing food.
• Hand sanitizer: If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol, covering all surfaces of your hands and rubbing them together until they feel dry.
• Soap and water: Soap and water are the best option, especially if hands are visibly dirty.
• Avoid touching: Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

Handwashing tips

Avoid sharing personal household items

• Do not share: Do not share dishes, drinking glasses, cups, eating utensils, towels, or bedding with other people in your home.
• Wash thoroughly after use: After using these items, wash them thoroughly with soap and water or put in the dishwasher.

Clean all “high-touch” surfaces everyday

Clean high-touch surfaces in your isolation area (“sick room” and bathroom) every day; let a caregiver clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces in other areas of the home.

• Clean and disinfect: Routinely clean high-touch surfaces in your “sick room” and bathroom. Let someone else clean and disinfect surfaces in common areas, but not your bedroom and bathroom.

• • If a caregiver or other person needs to clean and disinfect a sick person’s bedroom or bathroom, they should do so on an as-needed basis. The caregiver/other person should wear a mask and wait as long as possible after the sick person has used the bathroom.

High-touch surfaces include phones, remote controls, counters, tabletops, doorknobs, bathroom fixtures, toilets, keyboards, tablets, and bedside tables.

• Clean and disinfect areas that may have blood, stool, or body fluids on them.

• Household cleaners and disinfectants: Clean the area or item with soap and water or another detergent if it is dirty. Then, use a household disinfectant.

• • Be sure to follow the instructions on the label to ensure safe and effective use of the product. Many products recommend keeping the surface wet for several minutes to ensure germs are killed. Many also recommend precautions such as wearing gloves and making sure you have good ventilation during use of the product.
  • Most EPA-registered household disinfectants should be effective. A full list of disinfectants can be found hereexternal icon.

Complete disinfection guidance

Monitor your symptoms

• Common symptoms of COVID-19 include fever and cough. Trouble breathing is a more serious symptom that means you should get medical attention.
• If you are having trouble breathing, seek medical attention, but call first.
  • Call your doctor or emergency room before going in and tell them your symptoms. They will tell you what to do.
• Wear a facemask: If available, put on a facemask before you enter the building. If you can’t put on a facemask, cover your coughs and sneezes. Try to stay at least 6 feet away from other people. This will help protect the people in the office or waiting room.
• Follow care instructions from your healthcare provider and local health department: Your local health authorities may give instructions on checking your symptoms and reporting information.

When to Seek Medical Attention

If you develop emergency warning signs for COVID-19 get medical attention immediately. Emergency warning signs include*:

• Trouble breathing
• Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
• New confusion or inability to arouse
• Bluish lips or face

*This list is not all inclusive. Please consult your medical provider for any other symptoms that are severe or concerning.

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Call 911 if you have a medical emergency: If you have a medical emergency and need to call 911, notify the operator that you have or think you might have, COVID-19. If possible, put on a facemask before medical help arrives.

How to discontinue home isolation

• People with COVID-19 who have stayed home (home isolated) can stop home isolation under the following conditions:
  • If you will not have a test to determine if you are still contagious, you can leave home after these three things have happened:

• • • You have had no fever for at least 72 hours (that is three full days of no fever without the use medicine that reduces fevers)
      AND
    • other symptoms have improved (for example, when your cough or shortness of breath have improved)
      AND
    • at least 7 days have passed since your symptoms first appeared
  • If you will be tested to determine if you are still contagious, you can leave home after these three things have happened:
    • You no longer have a fever (without the use medicine that reduces fevers)
      AND
    • other symptoms have improved (for example, when your cough or shortness of breath have improved)
      AND
      you received two negative tests in a row, 24 hours apart. Your doctor will follow CDC guidelines.

In all cases, follow the guidance of your healthcare provider and local health department. The decision to stop home isolation should be made in consultation with your healthcare provider and state and local health departments. Local decisions depend on local circumstances.

More information is available here.

Additional information for healthcare providers: Interim Healthcare Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Persons Under Investigation for 2019 Novel Coronavirus.

 

COVID-19 testing locations:  https://www.al.com/coronavirus/2020/03/heres-where-you-can-get-tested-for-coronavirus-in-alabama.html

OFFICE OF THE SHERIFF

Chilton County

John Shearon, Sheriff

500 2nd Ave North Room 204

Clanton, Alabama 35045                                    

Phone (205) 755-4698                                      

Fax (205) 280-7245

March 30, 2020

We are experiencing a very difficult time in our lives that no one in our generation has ever been through before.  With that, I can promise you no one has all the answers to this that we are going through, especially me.  We are trying to do the best we can with the information we have to keep everyone in our county safe.  We cannot give out the names nor the addresses of the people that have tested positive for Covid-19.  Health officials on positive cases will investigate to see whom they have come in contact with and will  notify these individuals. These individuals will be tested and/or quarantined.  From there, the medical professionals will be making contact with those possibly exposed to discuss the necessary actions that need to take place.

Please remember the best way to avoid contracting the virus is to practice excellent hygiene, like washing your hands frequently with soap and water, use hand sanitizer when you can’t wash your hands.  Remember not to touch your face with your hands. Keep at least six feet away from other people. Use sanitizing wipes to keep your work stations, phones and personal items sanitary.  Follow the CDC’s guidance by staying away from crowds any larger than ten people with safe distancing.  If you can, avoid being out any more than you really have to be other than for necessities and work, because people can be contagious before showing signs of the virus.

The main thing is for everyone to stay calm in the midst of all of this. Our jobs are hard enough to start with but when people panic and others start spreading things that are not true, it only complicates our jobs even more.  At the time of this post, we have a total of 9 confirmed cases, one of which was confirmed is not from here, they are from another county.  We are trying our best to have minimal disruption as we can to everyday business here in the Courthouse.  The Commission passed a resolution to allow only 10 people at a time in the courthouse to handle business.  Deputies at the front door will be handling this to make sure of how many people are in the Courthouse at one time. This is to cut down on people being contaminated by others as well as to keep the employees as safe as possible.  If any of the employees are contaminated this could lead to a complete shutdown and that is what we are trying to avoid in order to keep the business of the County ongoing to serve you.

Certain Chilton County Offices are doing things in different ways because all of our offices are different.

•  The Tag Office (Phone: 205-755-1258) is only allowing one person in the office per clerk.  So if they have four clerks working there will be four people allowed in the office at a time. They have a clerk posted outside the door, checking to make sure you have the appropriate paperwork before you enter the building.  This cuts down on people waiting in line and then getting up to the clerk and not having the appropriate paperwork when they get inside which causes further delay and prolonged exposure.  They have also postponed processing titles at this point and are only renewing and issuing tags.  You can also go to the Chilton County Revenue Commission website and pay Property taxes, as well as renew vehicle tags online and/or mail them in.  Office hours are from 8:30 am- 3:45 pm. There will be a 2.53% fee on each transaction that is charged by the card company to do the transaction.  

• The Probate Office (Phone: 205-755-1555) is now only renewing boat tags and Public Notary renewals.  They are still recording deeds and accepting marriage affidavits. There will be no driver’s license renewals at this time.  
• The Sheriff’s Office (Phone: 205-755-4698), we are renewing Pistol Permits but have temporarily suspended any new Pistol Permits  being issued due to the Corona Virus and having to handle any extra paperwork from the public.  We are trying to come up with alternative ways to help with this problem but right now it is temporarily suspended.  We are still issuing reports for people to be able to sign warrants.
• Sheriff’s Office Administration hours 8am-4pm. Patrol Division hours 24/7. Like us on Facebook for additional updates, or visit our webpage chiltoncountyso.org. Anytime we can answer a call by phone, we will so there is no cross contamination between the citizen and the deputy.  Deputies have been advised to not write tickets for expired driver’s license, Pistol Permits and tags while this epidemic is going on.  Deputies are still patrolling the county and answering calls for service.  If at all possible, we would prefer to handle the reports outside in the fresh air again to keep from contamination.  
• The Jail has always been sanitized to keep down any type of infectious diseases.  Now with the Corona Virus outbreak, we have sanitized it even more from top to bottom to get rid of any kind of foreign bacteria.  We have set up different pods for people coming in and bonding right back out and for the ones that will stay with us a while.  The ones that will stay will be held in a holding area for a while to be sure they are not showing any signs of symptoms before being moved to the back where they will stay until bonded out.  This is in an attempt to keep the inmates safe as well the employees.  There was an order issued over a week or so ago releasing inmates that were on a $5,000 or less bond.  Some bonds in those cases had been revoked by other judges, which prevented them from being released, because they had committed other crimes.  Some had bonds and due to public safety issues, were not released.  The ones who were released by other judges went to hearings and due to them doing what they were supposed to do and being toward the end of their sentence, were released.  
• The Circuit Clerk’s Office (Phone: 205-755-4275) is closed to the public at this time.  There will be no in person court Criminal or Civil  until at least April 16th so if you had any subpoenas or summons for any time prior to that it will be reset at a later date.  
• E-911 has been closed to the public but can handle most of your needs by phone or by their Phone App Chilton 911.

Like I said in the beginning, we are at a place and time we have not been before and no one has all the answers.  We are doing what we can to keep people safe while fighting this invisible enemy.  That’s why we ask you to be mindful about getting out in crowds, which only spreads the virus.  We know you still have to work and live, but just trying to cut down on as much interaction as necessary.

 Our hearts and prayers go out to all the ones that have been infected by this virus and to the doctors, nurses, first responders, grocery workers and all others on the front line.  Thank you for all that you are doing to save lives and help those in need.  My prayer is that everyone stays safe and well and that we are back to normal soon.

I hope this gives you some kind of understanding as to why we have had to change some of the ways we have to handle business at the courthouse.  We are all in this together. Let’s remember to be patient with one another and try to do all we can to help those less fortunate than us.  I know this is quite long but I want the people I serve to know why things are being done the way they are.

God Bless and Thank you

Sheriff John Shearon

Link for COVID-19 testing locations:  www.al.com/coronavirus/2020/03