Christian County Clerk Mike Kem announced today that two offices in the courthouse — deeds and vehicle transfers — are temporarily closed after four employees were possibly exposed to the coronavirus.
One employee, whose husband recently tested positive for the virus, is under quarantine. Three others recently developed symptoms. All four employees are at home awaiting test results. Kem is also limiting his time in the office as a precaution to avoid exposing his wife to the virus. This week he expects to work mainly from home.
“I would hope we will have test results back by Friday, and we’ll go from there,” he told Hoptown Chronicle.
Some transactions through the deed and vehicle transfer offices can still be handled. Residents may leave paperwork in drop-off boxes at the front and rear of the courthouse, said Deputy County Clerk Melinda Humphries, who oversees elections.
“We’ve been trying to do the right thing,” Kem said.
A sheriff’s deputy is posted at the front of the courthouse. No more than 10 members of the public are allowed inside at a time.
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Also, the clerk’s election division employees had already moved their office to the second floor of the courthouse. All of the other offices remain on the first floor.
Humphries and two other employees are separated from other offices on the main floor to help avoid any outbreak that could affect preparation for the Nov. 3 general election.
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. Brown was a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era, where she worked for 30 years. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board past president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition. She serves on the Hopkinsville History Foundation's board.
