Mayor Woolsey has declared a State of Emergency for the Town of James Island in response to COVID-19 and the Town is currently operating at OPCON level 2.
Town Hall Operations – Town Hall is operating with reduced staffing and the Town is encouraging residents to call in to Town Hall or visit our website to conduct Town business in lieu of coming into the office. Staff can be contacted at (843) 795-4141 and many of our forms are available on our website at http://www.jamesislandsc.us/forms-and-documents and can be emailed into appropriate staff. Staff contact information can be found here: http://www.jamesislandsc.us/staff-directory.
The Town urges residents to practice social distancing, especially staying away, or refraining from organizing, gatherings of more than 50 people. The Town will still hold its regularly-scheduled Council meeting this Thursday at 7 pm, however we are encouraging residents to view the meeting remotely through our website and social media. Links to those videos will be made available. Residents are also urged to submit comments to Town Council ahead of the meeting by emailing them to info@jamesislandsc.us. Our agenda packet can be found online here: http://www.jamesislandsc.us/town-council-agendas-minutes. All other Town-related meetings for March have been cancelled.
Charleston County has activated a help line you can call from 9 am to 5 pm with questions concerning the pandemic. That number is 1-843-746-3900.
SCHOOL INFO: Charleston County School District is temporarily closed all schools thru March 31st. Charleston County School District will be offering a drive-thru "Grab & Go" Style Meal Service consisting of breakfast and lunch for students at 15 sites within the District. The site on James Island is Harborview Elementary School. The meal service will operate between the hours of 11 am - 1 pm Monday - Friday. For more information and a full list of meal sites and information on further updates on distance learning, please visit www.ccsdschools.com
Those with questions about COVID-19 can call the DHEC Care Line at 1-855-472-3432. Staff is answering calls Monday – Friday, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
If you are experiencing symptoms, MUSC is offering free drive-thru testing at the West Ashley Citadel Mall. Please complete the information on MUSC telehealth to get an appointment before going to the drive-thru. MUSC Tele-health: https://campaigns.muschealth.org/virtual-care/index.html
The Town of James Island recommends citizens follow the guidelines from the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
DHEC Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) homepage: https://www.scdhec.gov/health/infectious-diseases/viruses/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19
CDC Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) homepage: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html
- Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) and Children: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/specific-groups/children-faq.html
Here are recommendations from the CDC and DHEC:
- Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available use alcohol based sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
- Practice social distancing of 6 ft.
- Avoid contact with sick people
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth
- Stay at home when you are sick
- Cough into your elbow; cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue then throw it in the trash
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
The Town remains vigilant in monitoring Coronavirus/COVID-19 and its continuing impact on our region by making every effort to educate our staff and the public. Updates will be released and posted to the Town's website at www.jamesislandsc.us, the Town's social media platforms, and distributed to our email distribution list. Send an email to info@jamesislandsc.us to subscribe to our weekly meeting notifications and news releases.