CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Nueces County Courthouse and other county buildings are packed with visitors on a daily basis.
That’s why steps already are being taken to protect those visitors, and employees, from coronavirus. That effort, however, soon will be going up a notch.
Courthouse cleaning crews are busy, sanitizing everything in sight. It's all part of the county’s effort to fight coronavirus.
This Wednesday, county commissioners will discuss additional measures to try and keep those who interact with county buildings healthy. The discussion will be held in executive session because the open meetings act doesn't allow commissioners to place it on the agenda with such short notice, or discuss it outside a posted meeting.
The commissioners will then take the information to their precincts because Nueces Co. Judge Barbara Canales wants these protocols enacted countywide.
“We want to make sure that we're just repeating, educating and making sure we're super-proactive in all our community buildings,” Canales said.
County courthouse visitors will soon see one proactive change in the form of automatic, touchless hand-sanitizer dispensers. While hand sanitizer helps stop germs from spreading, Canales said sanitizer alone isn't enough.
“We're going to emphasize with everybody how important it is to wash your hands and to exercise that good hygiene,” Canales said.
Canales said the county is watching the COVID-19 situation closely, and wants residents to have the facts when it comes to the virus. Along with good hygiene, good information is another must in fighting its spread.
“The best thing we can do is to educate everybody,” Canales said. “When you feel like you have knowledge, you feel confident.”
With these protocols, Canales believes residents can visit the courthouse with confidence.
“We want to give them the confidence that their county is very active in preparedness, no different than if we were in the middle of hurricane season,” Canales said.
Canales said the proactive protocols the county is taking at the courthouse also extend to every county building, no matter how far from the courthouse it is.
