The Town of Boone is combating COVID-19, according to a letter to the town issued by the Town Manager John Ward and Mayor Rennie Brantz. 

Watauga County, the Town of Boone and neighboring jurisdictions are coordinating and communicating with AppHealthCare as they take the lead in the response efforts.

The letter comes after a third Watauga County resident was confirmed to have the new coronavirus on Tuesday. The individual had traveled in recently and is in self-quarantine.

The Town of Boone staff is evaluating resources and making adjustments, according to the release. Several changes to town programs, activities and access to municipal buildings have been made to keep residents and employees healthy.

The Police Department and Fire Department are continuing to respond to emergency calls for service. For emergencies, dial 911. For non-emergency police calls, dial 828-268-6900.

The town hall is closed to the public until further notice according to the release. Staff are continuing to work and are available by phone at 828-268-6200 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Additionally, a locked drop-box is located on the side of the town hall where utility payments and other town hall correspondence may be dropped off. The box will be checked each business day.

Planning and Inspections staff will continue to work and provide service via phone, email and appointments as needed. The Planning and Inspections staff is available at 828-268-6960.

The water treatment plant and wastewater treatment plant are continuing operations and staffing has been adjusted to ensure proper safety measures. 

The staff of the street division of Public Works is working on rotating schedules and are present for issues and repairs that are necessary. Staff members are available by email and phone by calling 828-268-6280.

The Cultural Resources Department and the Jones House are closed until further notice. Events at the Daniel Boone Park and Native Gardens are canceled but their grounds remain open to the public. The Boone Greenway is also open to the public, but the statement reminds visitors to follow appropriate social distancing recommendations. 

Finance and Human Resources staff members will continue to provide service and are available to respond to questions at 828-268-6200.

Residential trash pickup is still on a normal schedule. Residents are reminded to help protect collection workers from exposure by placing all garbage in a garbage bag. Republic Services can be reached at 828-264-3689.

The press release also reminded residents and visitors to practice social distancing and refraining from interacting with vulnerable groups or individuals such as grandparents and those who are chronically ill or are immune compromised. 

Individuals should also be practicing good hand hygiene like not touching your face and washing your hands with soap and water or an alcohol based sanitizer for 20 seconds. Respiratory hygiene like coughing and sneezing into your elbow is also important during this time according to the release.

For more information about national information about COVID-19, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus. 

Localized coronavirus information can be found from AppHealthCare’s website, www.apphealthcare.com/covid-19-information/. AppHealthCare is available 24/7 to respond to public health emergencies. They can be reached at 828-264-4995