Concerns over the coronavirus have caused many public events and government services in metro Atlanta to cancel or reschedule. Decisions on cancellations continue to be made, but this list reflects closures and adjustments announced on Friday, with some updates to reflect Saturday's decision to suspend early voting in Georgia.
COBB COUNTY
Cobb libraries: Starting Monday, March 16, the county's libraries, parks and recreation facilities and senior centers will cancel all activities and events until further notice, according to county spokesman Ross Cavitt.
SPLOST open houses: Meetings planned through March are canceled, but open houses planned for April and May are still on schedule.
Tax Commissioner: Starting Monday, March 16, the Cobb County Tax Commissioner will close the West Cobb tag office at 3858 Kemp Ridge Road in Acworth until further notice.
Senior centers: These centers will remain open so volunteers can coordinate programs like Meals on Wheels and transportation services. Fitness spaces in the senior centers will be closed to visitors.
Firefighters will have a slightly different look when responding to medical calls. They will arrive on scene with protective masks, glasses and gloves and will try to keep a six-foot buffer between themselves and the public. The change follows news that seven Cobb firefighters came in contact with a patient who subsequently tested positive for COVID-19, Cavitt said. The firefighters quarantined themselves and "are fine now," he said.
Kennesaw: The city of Kennesaw has closed the Southern Museum of Civil War & Locomotive History, Smith-Gilbert Gardens and the Ben Robertson Community Center to the public through April 10. It has also canceled programs, classes and athletic events sponsored by its Recreation and Parks Department. Municipal Court will reschedule arraignment calendars for March 17 and March 24.
Marietta: The city said it will remain open to provide services for citizens; Municipal Court sessions are cancelled over the next two weeks, but court operations remain open.
Smyrna: The city government will remain running, including curbside sanitation/recycling and public safety services. Effective Monday, March 16 it will make access to public buildings "temporarily unavailable" until further notice. Affected buildings include City Hall, Smyrna Public Library, Recycling Center, Community Center (and all programs), Brawner Hall, Wolfe Center, city-owned facilities such as Reed House, Taylor-Brawner House and Aunt Fanny's Cabin and the Smyrna History Museum.
Other canceled events: Kennesaw's Arbor Day celebration set for March 20, has been called off. Keep Kennesaw Beautiful's electronics and metal recycling and document shredding event has been rescheduled. The city's Farmers Market has postponed its opening day to April 13. Smyrna canceled its annual St. Patrick's Day Festival scheduled for March 14-15 and March 17.
DEKALB COUNTY
Libraries: DeKalb County on Friday announced plans to close about 20 branches across the county to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The closure begins at the end of the day Saturday and will continue for an undetermined amount of time. For now, library employees will continue to work and be paid, said Alison Weissinger, the county's library director. All library-sponsored programs in DeKalb are also canceled through March 31.
Senior centers: DeKalb's 317 Meals on Wheels clients will continue to be served. The North DeKalb, South DeKalb, DeKalb-Atlanta and East DeKalb senior centers will be open to distribute meals to their 559 customers only. The Lou Walker and Mason Mill senior centers will be closed until further notice.
Parks: DeKalb's recreation facilities will be closed to the public but all county parks will remain open for outdoor use. All group gatherings will be suspended March 16-31.
Brookhaven: City Hall is closed to the public until March 30. City Hall employees and anyone who has visited City Hall since March 9 were asked to "self-quarantine or self-monitor" after a city administrator tested positive for the coronavirus Friday evening, authorities said. All other city facilities will remain open to employees and employees assigned to non-City Hall work locations, including police and parks and recreation, will report to work as usual.
READ MORE: Brookhaven employee tests positive for coronavirus
Dunwoody: Mayor Lynn Deutsch's "State of the City" address was canceled Thursday. Municipal court operations are on hold for the next two weeks, and upcoming planning, zoning and zoning variance cases have been deferred until May.
Decatur: Upcoming events like Touch-a-Truck, Touch-a-Budget and the Easter Egg Hunt have been canceled, city spokeswoman Renae Madison said. Decatur 101 classes and Truckin' Tuesdays events have been suspended.
Chamblee: All "special events" for the next month, including Chamblee Restaurant Week and the Atlanta United Watch Party, are canceled, the city said in a statement. Regular public gatherings, like Chamblee 101, Police Cadet classes, and park cleanups, are suspended for 30 days, beginning Friday, March 13.
Doraville: Doraville Business Forum scheduled for next Tuesday has been postponed "out of an abundance of caution for public health," according to Mayor Joseph Geierman. The city's municipal court is also suspended for at least two weeks.
Tucker: The popular Tucker Chili Cook-Off, which usually draws thousands to Tucker's Main Street, is being postponed. "I was really hoping we would be able to pull it off, but after much discussion we have decided to err on the side of caution and postpone," said Chili Cook-off organizer Jamey Wilson.
Avondale Estates: All public events that were permitted by the city for the remainder of March and April will be postponed or canceled. The municipal court is also suspended "until further notice."In-person attendance at upcoming public meetings is prohibited for residents, the city said. Board of Mayor and Commissioners meetings will be available through live stream, and residents can call in through a "teleconference number."
FULTON COUNTY
Fulton County officials announced several key services will continue with modifications due to the spread of the coronavirus. Court services will be suspended for 30 days.
Cultural and activity centers: Libraries, senior citizen programs, and arts and culture activities have been suspended until further notice.
Food services and home deliveries: Arrangements are being made to drop off one meal per day to senior citizens participating in the Home Delivered Meal program. In addition, locations will be announced where meals will be available for students from Fulton County and Atlanta Public Schools.
Atlanta: City employees were told Friday that all non-essential employees would work from home until March 31 to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. City facilities, including City Hall and Municipal Court, will be closed to the public. Essential city services, including emergency services and trash pick-up, will continue.
The Atlanta City Council is also planning to conduct business remotely. City Council President Felicia Moore said Monday’s 1 p.m. council meeting had been rescheduled for 10 a.m. Tuesday, March 17 and will take place via teleconference. For the public participation portion of the meeting, the public can email their comments to the council to be put into the official record, Moore said. The public will also be allowed to listen to the meeting by phone. The council will be on recess after Tuesday’s meeting and isn’t scheduled to meet again until April 20.
Sandy Springs: All programming at Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center has been suspended through March 31. City officials said ticket holders will be able to exchange tickets or get a refund by contacting the box office at 770.206.2022 or email boxoffice@citysprings.com.
Roswell: Municipal court will close for 30 days starting Monday. Recreation and parks activities, as well as community events have been suspended. The Historical and Cultural Affairs department has suspended activities. Several places will remain open including Roswell Cultural Arts Center, Roswell River Landing, Archibald Smith Plantation, Barrington Hall and Roswell city parks.
Alpharetta: All parks and recreation programs are suspended through March 30. The Adult Activity Center, which provides recreation programs for senior citizens is suspended until further notice.
Johns Creek Municipal Court is canceled through March 27. Recreation and Park activities and programs and Autrey Mill Nature Preserve activities are suspended through April 12.
GWINNETT COUNTY
Government officials have created a task force to assess policies and prepare plans so the government can continue to provide essential services.
Auburn has postponed two meetings that were scheduled for next week. A council workshop will now be held April 2 and an Livable Centers Initiative kickoff meeting will also be rescheduled.
Berkeley Lake has canceled a March 28 town hall meeting. Other cities have canceled other programs, parades and events. Check their websites for updates.
Buford canceled its March 20 court date. The next date is May 15.
Senior services have been suspended. Seniors who receive meals at the county's senior centers will receive home-delivered meals. Homemaking, respite care and meal delivery services will continue. All recreation programming for residents age 50 and older has been suspended. Operations and programs at Prime Timers Pointe at George Pierce Park and Bethesda Park Senior Center were also suspended.
The solicitor's office will be closed, as are courts for the next two weeks, with some exceptions.
Gwinnett libraries have canceled all events and meeting room reservations through April 6, and will suspend fines for overdue material, Executive Director Charles Pace said.
Peachtree Corners has canceled planning commission and zoning board of appeals meetings scheduled for next week.
Snellville has suspended activities at its senior center and has canceled parks and recreation events. Organizations that lease parks facilities can make their own decisions about whether they want to cancel. The city has also canceled trial court Thursday and municipal court Wednesday and March 25.
Sugar Hill will close its gymnasium beginning Sunday. The Eagle Theatre's events are canceled beginning Monday, including the Spring Break Bash movie event. All nonessential meetings in the city will also be postponed beginning Monday. Those include the Sugar Hill Planning Commission, Sugar Hill Historic Preservation Society, Sugar Hill Arts Commission, Toastmasters, Sugar Hill Youth Council and other community groups. Passport services will be suspended beginning Tuesday.
