Electric cooperative Jackson EMC announced Sunday its offices will be open only for drive-through services starting Monday, March 16.
“Our Emergency Management Team has implemented our pandemic response plan to address increasing concerns and mitigate the impact of the coronavirus on our co-op and our communities,” the company stated in an email signed by president and CEO Chip Jakins. “Our plan places the highest value on the safety of our employees and members.”
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Jackson EMC services more than 234,000 meters in a 10 county area stretching from metro Atlanta, north to Gainesville and east to Athens. This includes Gwinnett, Hall and Athens-Clarke counties.
In addition to limiting offices to drive-through service, Jackson will scale down office personnel, with most employees telecommuting, and suspend disconnections for nonpayment.
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You can still pay your bill online via MyJacksonEMC.com and the MyJacksonEMC mobile app.
Likewise, Atlanta Gas Light and Georgia Power, who are both owned by Southern Company, said they will not terminate services for customers due to nonpayment amid COVID-19 concerns, Asia Simone Burns reported.
Many Atlanta area businesses are taking measures to ensure not only the health and safety of their employees, but also of the communities they serve.
"Some are splitting workers into separate buildings or taking extra precautions handling waste from employees and customers. Others are getting professional scrubdowns," the AJC's Andy Peters reported.
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Many of these measures were implemented after Georgia’s coronavirus cases jumped from 42 to 66 overnight Friday into Saturday.
Gov. Brian Kemp declared an unprecedented public health emergency Saturday, Greg Bluestein reported, and said he "would use the broad powers granted under the law to deploy 'all available resources' to help contain the spread of coronavirus."
» To protect congregations, many Georgia churches will go online Sunday
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