On Sunday, April 5, 2020, the county health department issued new COVID-19 restrictions for Kanawha County. Governor Jim Justice had added the county to a state executive order that limited access during the pandemic. The City of Charleston and the Kanawha County Commission supported the order.
What the order asked of residents
- Stay home as much as possible. Leave only for essential needs, such as groceries or prescriptions, and shop at less busy times.
- Avoid outdoor gatherings of more than five people.
- Limit family visits and keep a social distance.
- Judicial Annex employees who tested negative were to stay in isolation for 14 days after their last exposure.
What the order asked of businesses
- Let employees work from home if possible.
- Limit public space to two people per 1,000 square feet. When a store reached its limit, it had to use a strict one-in, one-out rule.
- Keep employees and customers at least six feet apart, inside and outside. Use tape strips at entrances and checkout areas.
- Post the maximum number of people and the six-foot rule at the entrance and at four other places.
- Supply hand sanitizer, have employees wash hands often, and disinfect surfaces such as doors and counters several times a day.
- Send home employees with cough, fever or shortness of breath. Businesses that used non-contact thermometers were not to admit anyone with a temperature above 100°F.
Businesses were responsible for compliance and had to post signs. News reports said people who did not follow isolation orders could face fines or ankle monitors, which needed a court order. People in quarantine who needed food or other help could call 211.
See Health department issues restrictions under new Executive Order and the earlier statewide restaurant, bar and casino closures.
This order is from April 2020. It is kept here as a record. It is no longer in effect.