COVID positive results in tightened court, poll contact
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EAST LIVERPOOL --Visitors to city hall, whether for a court date or to cast their ballot on election day, found a much different experience than they were accustomed.
East Liverpool Municipal Court Judge Dominic Frank announced Tuesday afternoon that he was reducing the court's operating hours immediately. Starting today, the court and clerk's office only will be open 8 to 10 a.m. through at least Friday pending a consultation with city Health Commissioner Carol Cowan.
Amid a flurry of pandemic positive swabs and elevated temperatures, the move was necessary for the health and welfare of both staff and the public, he said.
Frank will be assisted by one clerk with the video arraignments of jailed defendants and other immediately pressing matters. All other hearings and trials will be rescheduled for the very near future.
Tuesday found city hall an unusually busy place, as it served as a polling place for the election. Masks were mandated upon entering.
Election officials appeared to have taken pandemic preventative measures, which included cellophane wrapped pens with stylus on the top for each voter; protective plastic barriers between masked poll workers and the public; touchless scanning check-in for IDs; and hand sanitizer provided liberally throughout the poll area.
Office doors to all offices on that floor were closed to walk-in traffic, as Cowan explained to reinforce minimum contact and social distancing.
A sign on Mayor Greg Bricker's office door encouraged civil service applicants for the city's police and water department tests to knock on the door and someone would get them the necessary paperwork required for registering for the examination.
Social distancing also was a priority for voters casting their ballots at village hall in Wellsville, which had been closed Tuesday due to the election. An X on the sidewalk greeted a line of visitors outside the village hall. They also had to don their masks to cast their ballots inside the council chambers.
Representatives from Election Protection, wearing their masks and all black, stood more than 100 feet from the entrance to monitor the voting.
Sal Tisdale and Grant Goodballet, volunteers for the organization, stood ready to assist in case any voters had questions about Tuesday's vote.
Election Protection is a non-profit, non-partisan group that provides election-related information about deadlines, locations and prohibitions, such as wearing clothing or face coverings touting or opposing any candidate.
The polls were open until 7:30 p.m.