As difficult as it has been this holiday season to cope with all the COVID-19 restrictions, the continuing surge in new cases has led the Governor to tighten things down even more. Yesterday, the Governor issued Executive Order 72, that among other things, increases face mask requirements, imposes a general curfew from midnight to 5:00 am, and limits both indoor and outdoor public and private gathering to no more than 10 people. These restrictions are currently expected to continue until the end of January.
With both restrictions and new cases continuing to rise, the Town of Cape Charles needs to act prudently as well, to do our part to help hasten the return to more normal conditions. Therefore, beginning Monday, December 14th, the Town will return to phase 2 of our Incident Operations Plan and all Town facilities will be closed to the public. The Town will continue to conduct essential services just as we did throughout the summer, serving our residents via phone, email, fax, and drop boxes. Please call ahead to the department you wish to see, and they will help you through the process.
The Town Council may also consider readopting their Declaration of Emergency, originally passed last March, which expired in September. Readopting this ordinance would once again allow virtual public meetings. Meetings of this type, should they occur, would be live-streamed, with public participation via email to the Town Clerk or dropping off comments to Town Hall prior to the meetings.
While none of this is ideal, it is important to remember that the fastest way out is for everyone to do their part. Please follow all the restrictions, use common sense, and together we can curb these numbers. The vaccine is coming, but don’t let that provide a false sense of security to let your guard down. Hang in there just a little while longer so we can all get back to “normal” as soon as possible.
Stay focused on all the good things this special time of year has to offer, and Happy Holidays!
John Hozey
Town Manager