Judicial Order closes Courts in the Appalachian District

Additionally, the order calls for attorneys and clients to report and notify each other of any sign or showing of symptoms of illness, even mild ones, prior to or after court as well as any contact or exposure to a Coronavirus positive individual. The attorneys should then contact the judge’s office if this occurs.

The order also states a list of people that “shall not enter Pickens, Gilmer, or Fannin Courthouse or any probation office Pickens, Gilmer, or Fannin Counties, without prior permission from the Chief Judge.” Those people include:

• Persons who have been in any of the following countries or regions within the last 14 days:
  STATE OF WASHINGTON
  NEW ROCHELLE, NEW YORK
  CHINA
  SOUTH KOREA
  JAPAN
  ITALY
  IRAN
  EGYPT

• Persons who reside or have had close contact with someone who has been in one of the countries listed above within the last 14 days;

• Persons who have been asked to self-quarantine by any doctor, hospital, or health agency;

• Persons who have been diagnosed within, or have had contact with, anyone who has been diagnosed with Coronavirus (COVID-19);

The order charges Sheriff’s offices in these counties to deny entry to those in violation of this order. It also gives guidance to those under this order’s restrictions on the steps to take. Read the full Judicial Order below: