Prepare to be screened for COVID-19

ADAMS COUNTY - Starting Monday, July 20, Adams County will be doing screenings for COVID-19 in Othello and Ritzville for all members of the public who enter the buildings for court services, according to a July 17 late afternoon press release from the office of the Adams County Commissioners.

The courthouse remains closed to the public for all other in-person services.

Access to the courthouse in Ritzville will be restricted to a single entrance at the backside of the courthouse, with the main entrance locked until if and when Adams County is allowed to advance to Phase 3 of Governor Inslee's "Safe Start" programming.

Signage will guide the public to the single, ADA-accessible entrance on the southwest side of the building. There, anyone wanting access to the building will have their temperature taken and be required to respond to a short list of screening questions.

In accordance with mandates put in place by Inslee, everyone must wear a mask in order to enter any county facility. Disposable masks will be available for those who don't bring their own.

In Othello, at the Adams County Public Services Building which houses Othello District Court, the normal main entrance will continue to be used, with screening taking place there.

All Adams County employees entering these two facilities, during normal business hours, will also be screened.

Adams County Commissioners retained a private security firm, Phoenix Protective Corporation Solutions, Inc., out of Spokane, to conduct the screenings Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The firm was retained with federal CARES Act funds.

As of July 17, a total of 275 people have been documented as testing positive for COVID-19 in Adams County, out of 1,856 people tested. Of the 275 positive tests, 265 of those occurred in the Othello area, with five in Ritzville, three in Lind, and one each in Washtucna and Hatton.