The city of Hopkinsville is closing its offices and facilities to the general public in response to the coronavirus outbreak.
The closure begins Monday and will be in affect until at least March 30 at the Hopkinsville Municipal Center, the Thomas Street Recreation Center and the Planters Bank-Jennie Stuart Health Sportsplex, city officials announced Sunday.
The public will be able to use the city tax office’s drive-thru window, at 715 S. Virginia St., during regular hours for business such as submitting job applications or filing open records requests.
The municipal building will remain open for city employees who cannot work remotely.
Members of the public who have business that cannot be handled at the drive-thru window should call the Hoptown Hotline at 270-887-4000 to determine how to proceed.
“State and local governments are encouraged to take an active lead in implementing steps in concert with President Trump’s declaration of a national emergency and to protect the general public,” Hopkinsville Mayor Wendell Lynch said in a news release.
Lynch asked residents to “remain calm, clean and cooperative.”
He added, “Our intent as the City of Hopkinsville is to do so through calm, measured actions that both protect and keep the public informed, while emphasizing the seriousness of the COVID-19 threat.”
The city closure does not affect outdoor parks, playgrounds or the rail-trail. Those remain open during the day. But all park-run leagues are canceled.
“As a reminder, the act of social distancing is recommended and mass gatherings in park facilities remain discouraged,” the news release states.
A press conference is set for 8:30 a.m. Monday in city council chambers with representatives of city and county government agencies and the Christian County Health Department. It is closed to the general public but be live-streamed on the city’s Facebook page and on the city’s website.
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.
