Officials set parameters for operations during green

CDC guidelines will be followed; goal is to keep coronavirus numbers low

NORRISTOWN » Montgomery County officials will continue to encourage county employees to work remotely, limit in-person contact with the public and stagger the openings of satellite county offices, including in Pottstown, Willow Grove and Lansdale, as the county adjusts to the green phase of the governor’s color-coded reopening plan.

“While we are very pleased to be moving to the green phase, we do not want to have the experience that some other states are seeing with increasing, if not record, numbers of new (COVID-19) cases after reopening,” Barbara O’Malley, county deputy chief operating officer, recently wrote in a memo to employees.

By following federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regulations, O’Malley said, county officials hope to keep coronavirus numbers low and keep employees and the public safe.

“We are still going to follow the guidance to work remotely where possible and deliver services with as limited in-person contact as possible,” O’Malley said.

The courthouse is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. but with limited operations and temperature check protocols remain in effect for anyone entering the courthouse. Officials indicated they are drafting a plan to begin offering “by appointment services” at offices in One Montgom

ery Plaza, the county office complex located across the street from the courthouse, in the coming weeks.

The county Human Services Center in Norristown is open to employees but remains closed to the public.

Satellite county offices in Pottstown and Willow Grove will reopen to employees on July 13 but the Lansdale office will remain closed until further notice. Employees in Pottstown and Willow Grove will have strict hours, meaning employees will not be able to arrive or stay beyond set hours beginning July 13.

Officials have not said when the satellite offices will reopen to the public.

Telecommuting will be

encouraged as will the delivery of services on-line or by phone where possible. Office work will be conducted by phone calls or emails rather than inperson conversations.

Officials will continue to require employees to have minimal in-person contact with others, including coworkers.

The county moved to Gov. Tom Wolf’s green phase on June 26.

In the green phase, large gatherings of more than 250 are still prohibited and masks are required when in public and in businesses. Restaurants and bars reopened at 50 percent occupancy and hair salons and barbershops were permitted to reopen at 50 percent occupancy and by appointment only, under to the guidelines.

Indoor recreation and

health and wellness facilities such as gyms and spas could open at 50 percent occupancy with appointments strongly encouraged, according to green phase regulations.

Entertainment venues such as casinos, theaters, and shopping malls could reopen at 50 percent occupancy.

Work and crowd restrictions include:

• Continued telework strongly encouraged

• Businesses with in-person operations must follow updated business and building safety requirements

• Businesses operating at 50% occupancy in the yellow phase may increase to 75% occupancy

• Child care may open complying with guidance

• Congregate care restrictions in place

• Prison and hospital restrictions determined by individual facilities

• Schools subject to CDC and social distancing guidance

Last month, Commissioners’ Chairwoman Dr. Valerie Arkoosh stressed that “a slow phased-in” approach is recommended for people going back to work during the green phase.

“Even here at the county we’re not going to have everybody in the office when we go to green. That means you don’t necessarily have an office full of people, that people are working some from home and some from the office and that we do that in a phased way,” Arkoosh explained.

“I think as long as we encourage just a continued slow, reopening we can keep everybody in our region safe,” Arkoosh said.