Council to close public offices to stem virus spread
WEXFORD County Council is to close all public offices around the county with immediate effect in a bid to slow down the spread of coronavirus.
In a statement issued by the council yesterday (Monday) evening, they said that essential public services would continue for the people of County Wexford and that a contingency plan had been put in place.
‘The situation in relation to covid-19 is evolving on a continual basis and it is likely to be several weeks or more before we see the peak for the virus and its abatement,’ said Communications Officer David Minogue. ‘In this difficult phase of the health crisis, we would like to point out that the provision of essential public services to the people of County Wexford will continue and that all measures necessary to maintain Wexford County Council’s critical operations have been put in place.’
‘It is prudent of course that we seek to minimise risk of infection for everyone at this time and with this in mind, Wexford County Council has taken the decision to close all offices of the Council to the public with immediate effect,’ he continued. ‘For the foreseeable future, public visits to our offices will only be accommodated in cases of absolute necessity and in these limited cases an appointment must be arranged beforehand.’
With public services continuing to operate, members of the public can contact Wexford County Council if required by calling 053 9196000 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday or 1890 666777 for out of hours emergencies. You can also get in touch by email at customerservice@wexfordcoco.ie, via social media or at www.wexfordcoco.ie.
‘The Council is in the fortunate position that many of our key operations are designed to operate remotely and our staff, who have trained for such eventuality can work remotely to manage and maintain these services,’ Mr Minogue said. ‘We also have excellent access to teleconferencing facilities and we can if necessary hold on-line meetings, thus keeping face-toface interactions to a minimum.’
Wexford County Council also wishes to thank the public for its on-going patience, understanding and support as we deal with this on-going situation. People are also reminded that while many visitor attractions are temporarily closed, there are an array of amenities around the county including beaches, walking trails, parks and other open spaces that are freely available to enjoy.