Town of Clarksville Virginia

Town Hall Office will be closed at noon Wednesday November 25^th through Friday November 27^th in observance of Thanksgiving.

Office will re-open Monday November 30^th at 8:30 A.M

Business and residential trash will be collected Tuesday November 24^th and again on Monday November 30^th.

Commonwealth of Virginia

Office of Governor Ralph S. Northam

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE · November 13, 2020

Office of the Governor

Alena.Yarmosky@nullgovernor.virginia.gov

Governor Northam Announces New Statewide Measures to Contain COVID-19

~ Includes limit of 25 individuals for in-person gatherings, expanded mask mandate, on-site alcohol curfew, and increased enforcement ~

RICHMOND—As COVID-19 surges in states across the country, Governor Ralph Northam today announced new actions to mitigate the spread of the virus in Virginia. While the Commonwealth’s case count per capita and positivity rate remain comparatively low, all five health regions are experiencing increases in new COVID-19 cases, positive tests, and hospitalizations.

“COVID-19 is surging across the country, and while cases are not rising in Virginia as rapidly as in some other states, I do not intend to wait until they are. We are acting now to prevent this health crisis from getting worse,” said Governor Northam. “Everyone is tired of this pandemic and restrictions on our lives. I’m tired, and I know you are tired too. But as we saw earlier this year, these mitigation measures work. I am confident that we can come together as one Commonwealth to get this virus under control and save lives.”

Governor Northam shared a new video to update Virginians on the additional steps the Commonwealth is taking to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, which is available here and below.

The following measures will take effect at midnight on Sunday, November 15:

Reduction in public and private gatherings: All public and private in-person gatherings must be limited to 25 individuals, down from the current cap of 250 people. This includes outdoor and indoor settings.

Expansion of mask mandate: All Virginians aged five and over are required to wear face coverings in indoor public spaces. This expands the current mask mandate, which has been in place in Virginia since May 29 and requires all individuals aged 10 and over to wear face coverings in indoor public settings.

Strengthened enforcement within essential retail businesses: All essential retail businesses, including grocery stores and pharmacies, must adhere to statewide guidelines for physical distancing, wearing face coverings, and enhanced cleaning. While certain essential retail businesses have been required to adhere to these regulations as a best practice, violations will now be enforceable through the Virginia Department of Health as a Class One misdemeanor.

On-site alcohol curfew: The on-site sale, consumption, and possession of alcohol is prohibited after 10:00 p.m. in any restaurant, dining establishment, food court, brewery, microbrewery, distillery, winery, or tasting room. All restaurants, dining establishments, food courts, breweries, microbreweries, distilleries, wineries, and tasting rooms must close by midnight. Virginia law does not distinguish between restaurants and bars, however, under current restrictions, individuals that choose to consume alcohol prior to 10:00 p.m. must be served as in a restaurant and remain seated at tables six feet apart.

Virginia is averaging 1,500 newly-reported COVID-19 cases per day, up from a statewide peak of approximately 1,200 in May. While Southwest Virginia has experienced a spike in the number of diagnosed COVID-19 cases, all five of the Commonwealth’s health regions are currently reporting a positivity rate over five percent. Although hospital capacity remains stable, hospitalizations have increased statewide by more than 35 percent in the last four weeks.

On Tuesday, Governor Northam announced new contracts with three laboratories as part of the Commonwealth’s OneLabNetwork, which will significantly increase Virginia’s public health testing capacity. Contracts with Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville, and Sentara Healthcare in Norfolk will directly support high-priority outbreak investigations, community testing events, and testing in congregate settings, with a goal of being able to perform 7,000 per day by the end of the year.

The full text of amended Executive Order Sixty-Three and Order of Public Health Emergency Five and sixth amended Executive Order Sixty-Seven and Order of Public Health Emergency Seven will be made available here.

For information about COVID-19 in Virginia, vdh.virginia.gov/coronavirus.

Full Release

Town Hall Office will be closed on Wednesday, November 11th in observance of Veterans Day.

Office will re-open Thursday, November 12^th at 8:30 A.M

The Clarksville Town Council after careful consideration and evaluation have made the following decisions in regards to Halloween 2020.

The Annual Trick or Treat on the Street event is being cancelled for this year.  This decision was not an easy one for the Town Council.  The COVID-19 pandemic and the related phase three guidelines issued by Governor Northrup makes it difficult to conduct a safe event like Trick or Treat on the Street.  If one child or participant were to contract the COVID-19 virus it would be one to many.

The Town and the Lake Country Chamber of Commerce of Clarksville have worked together for many years to bring safe and family fun activities to Clarksville and look forward to continue to do so.  Even during this difficult time, the Chamber Board of Directors and the Executive Director continue to try and make positive things happen for our lake side town.   The Town Council and Town Staff applaud them for all their efforts.

With the increase in COVID-19 cases in Mecklenburg County and the many unknowns including how young children will react in a candy excited event plus how the family units will maintain the distancing requirements coupled with the proposed one direction flow of what has always been a large free flowing crowd was a major concern.  It is the thoughts of the Town to err on the side of safety for everyone.

Over the past few years traditional trick or treating in town has become very limited since the institution of Trick or Treat on the Street in Clarksville.  Some residents of the Town still host traditional trick or treating at their homes.  The individual residents of the Town will have to determine their personal safety if hosting trick or treaters this year.

The Town of Clarksville is not saying that traditional trick or treating is a safer alternative to Trick or Treat on the Street.  If individual residents decide to allow trick or treating at their home, we strongly urge that everyone follow the CDC guidelines.  The CDC has determined that traditional trick or treating is considered a high-risk activity.

The Town is issuing the following 2020 Trick or Treat Restrictions’ for Saturday, October 31, 2020:

• An 8:00 p.m. Curfew                                                                

• No one over the age of 12 may wear a costume mask in public. This does not apply to face covering associated with governor’s mandate.   
• The Town also urges anyone that makes the decision to conduct Halloween based activities to follow the CDC guidelines.                                                                                                      
• If residents do not wish to have trick or treaters, do not turn on your porch lights                                                                                                                                       
• Trick or Treaters should only approach homes with the porch lights on.

Thank you for your cooperation.  Please stay safe.

Halloween Restrictions 2020

For Immediate Release

Mecklenburg County’s Gift Card Match Program is Back for a Third Round – and another
$100,000 to match purchases made to local businesses
The Gift Card Match Program has proven to be very successful in helping Mecklenburg
County’s locally owned Restaurant, Retail and Service-Based Businesses make it through the
strain of the Covid-19 Pandemic. By offering a dollar-for-dollar match on purchases made, the
program has not only served as a stimulus to local businesses, but a stimulus to citizens as they
gain a substantial savings when purchasing vouchers through it. For $20, you receive a $40
voucher that is good for 1 year; a savings that is hard to pass up.
Since the first round launched in May of 2020, the program –in combination with consumer
support- has infused $244,000.00 into Mecklenburg County’s small businesses. The county’s
Tourism Coordinator, Tina Morgan remarked that when this third round is complete, it will have
successfully placed almost a half million dollars into the hands of local businesses. “That is a
significant stimulus. The program is designed to double any investment made to the matching
fund, using consumer support. We’ve seen that it has served as a major catalyst in driving
people to shop local, and that’s the best outcome we could have hoped for.”
The Chase City, Clarksville and South Hill Chambers of Commerce remain unified in this effort
and will be working with all of the towns to reach businesses about this next (and perhaps last)
opportunity to participate. Registration is now open and small businesses can find the sign up
form at www.VisitMeckVa.com/ShopLocal. Interested businesses can also call any of the
Chambers or the County Tourism Office at 434-738-6191 to find out more information.
Businesses do not need to be a Chamber member to participate and they have until November
5th to sign up.
The online store will go live for customers to shop on November 17th at 6pm. Just in time for the
holidays. Consumers can visit www.VisitMeckVa.com/ShopLocal and click the store icon to
shop. Here, customers will find gift cards to participating businesses in the amount of $20 each.
For each card purchased, the program will match it for as long as the matching funds last. So,
for $20, you receive a $40 gift card. There will be a few changes to the limits in Round 3, so
consumers are encouraged to learn more on the website before they shop. There will also be a
limited number of vouchers available to purchase directly from each Chamber, in order to better
serve those without internet access.
The program is made possible through a collaboration between the three Chambers of
Commerce (aka Chambers In Action) and Mecklenburg County Tourism, utilizing CARES
Funding. The shopping platform for the online store is made possible by Virginia’s Growth
Alliance, a regional economic development group, who had the site developed for retail
businesses to use for free. Any business located in the VGA region, who is interested in selling
their products online (for free), can visit www.ShopLocalVGA.com to learn more.

Press_Release_GCM_Round3

Town Hall Office will be closed on Monday October 12^th in observance of Columbus Day.

Office will re-open Tuesday, October 13^th at 8:30am.

Business Trash will be collected Tuesday, October 13^th