Blog

Effective Wednesday, May 20th, the City Of Parkersburg will resume toll collection on the Memorial Bridge. Normal toll collections will resume at 0800 on Wednesday and will continue 24 hours per day until further notice.

Traffic controls will be in place to ensure safety of both patrons and employees. The current plan is to operate the outside lanes both for both east and west bound traffic.

“When the bridge employees were made aware of the other city employees returning to their regular work location and assignments; an overwhelming majority of the bridge personnel contacted their supervisor volunteering to return to work. We have made preparations and verified that we have the necessary and appropriate supplies and Personal Protective Equipment to provide for proper safety of the employees”, said Mayor Tom Joyce.

The City ceased collecting tolls on March 22nd as a measure to protect the bridge employees while also to allow for reconnoitering of required supplies for Police Fire and Sanitation personnel to maintain regular operations.

MID-OHIO VALLEY HEALTH DEPARTMENT
Promoting Health • Preventing Disease • Protecting the Public
211 Sixth St. Parkersburg, West Virginia, 26101
As a result of Executive Order 9-20 issued by WV Governor Jim Justice on March 16, 2020
wherein a State of Emergency was declared for all counties in West Virginia and ordered the
following:
I. Stay at home or your place of residence
2. Non-essential businesses and operations must temporarily cease operations
3. Essential businesses and operations shall continue to operate
4. Prohibited activities
5. Avoid social gatherings
6. Intent of this order
7. Enforcement
8. Duration
Executive Order 24-20 was issued on April 10, 2020 for Wood County due to increasing
numbers of persons diagnosed with Covid-19. Further measures are necessary to protect the
health, safety, and welfare of the public, disrupt the spread of the virus, and mitigate the impact
of the virus in certain counties due to the propensity of the Covid-19 virus to spread via personal
interactions.
It is necessary that essential businesses and operations further limit the number of employees and
members of the public entering and exiting their premises, and to the maximum extent possible,
must shift work and workers off-premises to the maximum extent possible.
This new order puts forward the following:
1. Limits outdoor activities to five (5) person gatherings while maintaining social
distancing of six feet from one another.
2. All essential businesses shall order their employees and/or contractors, to the
maximum extent possible, to work from their home or residence, or to otherwise
work remotely.
3. The Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department is hereby directed to establish and enforce
protocols to limit occupancy of any such business that remains open to the public on
an individual-per-square foot basis.
Whereas, the Mid-Ohio Valley Health Depa1tment and the County Health Officer have broad
authority to regulate matters relating to public health under Chapter 16 of the West Virginia
Code, the following measures are deemed necessary to save lives to the extent humanly possible
and to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public from the spread of the Covid-19 virus.
Therefore, the Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department and the Health Officer hereby ORDERS:
1. Stay at home or your place of residence: all individuals within Wood County are
under a general stay-at-home order and are directed to stay at home or their place of
residence unless performing an essential activity, as defined within Section 1 of the
Governor of West Virginia’s Stay at Home Executive Order 9-20.
a. In order to observe the stay at home order and limit instances of persons leaving
their home or residence, all persons going to or from the home of a family
member shall limit the number of visits to the greatest extent possible.
b. To prevent spread of Covid-19, groups engaging in outdoor activities are hereby
limited to a maximum of 5 people and must maintain social distancing of six feet
from one another at all times.
2. Essential Businesses and Operations, as outlined in Executive Order 9-20, Section 3,
in Wood County shall immediately order their employees and/or contractors, to the
maximum extent possible, to work from their home or residence, or to otherwise
work remotely in order to limit the instances requiring their employees to leave home.
a. Any business permitted to remain open, that chooses to remain open, and requires
employees to report to work, must take the following actions:
(1). Implement a plan to limit staff to essential personnel only;
(2). Implement social distancing practices within and around the workplace,
including remaining 6 feet away from others; and
(3). Supply adequate disinfecting and hygienic supplies to employees, such as
disinfecting wipes or spray, hand sanitizer, soap & water, and when at all
possible face masks and gloves.
b. Any business permitted to remain open, that chooses to remain open, and requires
employees to report to work, shall establish access restrictions that limit access of
the public as follows:
(1). No more than two (2) individual members of the public may enter into the
business per 1,000 square feet of public space at any given time.
(2). To ensure the number of people per square foot is not exceeded, the
business shall keep track of the number of people who enter and leave the
store on a one-in, one-out basis after capacity is reached.
(3). The business shall take actions to establish social distancing among their
public customers to the greatest extent possible, including but not limited to
marking distances six feet apart, at any area where people are likely to
congregate or stand in line; create one-way aisles or other restrictions to
limit close contact with other people, and encourage, whenever possible to
allow customers to place orders ahead, where feasible, that will allow them
to pick up and pay without entering the business.
(4). Prominently display these regulations, including posting maximum person
occupancy of each essential business under the square footage regulations
established herein, at no less than five (5) locations, including entrance to
the store, in addition to posting the same on the business’s website and all
social media platforms, if applicable.
3. Any resident of Wood County who has a critical need for goods and services and are
unable to obtain such due to this or any other Order related to the Covid-19 pandemic is
encouraged to call WV 211 United Way Information and Referral line to seek assistance.
4. Pursuant to West Virginia Code § 16-3-2 Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department is
authorized to establish quarantine of any individuals to prevent the spread of any
infectious or communicable diseases. Therefore:
a. Any person awaiting corona virus test results shall self-quarantine until those results
are known and reported to the health department.
b. Any person diagnosed with Covid-19 shall self-isolate as directed by the Mid-Ohio
Valley Health Department and in accord with the instruction of their treating
physician, in a portion of their home or residence that limits, as much as possible, their
contact with any other member of their residence.
c. Whenever possible, any person suspected of having or diagnosed with Covid-19 who
is under self-quarantine or isolation should use his or her own bathroom.
d. Any person living in the same household as a suspected or diagnosed person with
Covid-19 or who has had known contact with a diagnosed person should contact the
Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department for further instruction.
5. Enforcement of this Order shall be at the direction of the Mid-Ohio Valley Health
Department and County Health Officer. Pursuant to Executive Order 24-20, West Virginia
State Police are directed to provide support in enforcing the terms of this Order.
a. Accordingly, the Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department hereby requests that West
Virginia State Police assist in the enforcement of this Order.
b. If West Virginia State Police resources are not available, Wood County Sheriff’s office
and all municipal law enforcement agencies located in Wood County may be called
upon to enforce this Order.
6. Any adult member of public can report non-compliance with these orders by calling the
Mid-Ohio Valley Health Depa1tment at 304-485-7374.
7. The Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department reserves the right to amend this order as
necessary to protect the health and welfare of the public. Any amendment made will be
communicated by media release and other reasonable methods of notification.
The above information and order was discussed and reviewed by the Mid-Ohio Valley Health
Department, Mayor Tom Joyce, Mayor Randy Rapp, Mayor Jean F ord, Wood County Prosecutor
Patrick Lefebure, and Commissioner Blair Couch.
Signed April 11, 2020
CLi􀀅􀀆 kD
Dr. Charles F. Whitaker, III
Health Officer
Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department

Effective immediately the City of Parkersburg is transitioning downtown parking to 15 minute free parking in the areas outlined below:

Market Street 8th-3rd
7th Street Juliana -Market