New Year's Closures for Escambia County Offices 2020-2021

• Escambia County Board of County Commissioners - All departments, including:
  
  • West Florida Public Libraries (All library locations) 
  • The Escambia County Animal Shelter 
• Escambia County Property Appraiser
• Escambia County Supervisor of Elections

Exceptions:

• ECAT buses will not operate Friday, Jan. 1. Buses will operate on a modified holiday schedule until 5 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 31 and Saturday, Jan. 2. There will be no UWF Trolley or Express Shuttle service from Saturday, Dec. 12 to Monday, Jan. 18. UWF service will resume Tuesday, Jan. 19. ECAT Administrative Offices are closed Saturday, Jan. 2. For more information about ECAT schedules visit goecat.com.
• Escambia County Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller's office will be open on Dec. 31 except for the Clerk's Official Records, Finance and Clerk to the Board. All Clerk's offices will be closed Jan. 1. 
• Escambia County Tax Collector will be open Thursday, Dec. 31. The office will be closed Friday, Jan. 1.
• The Perdido Landfill will be open Thursday, Dec. 31, but will be closed on Friday, Jan. 1.

For more information, please contact the Escambia County Office of Community and Media Relations at 850-595-3476 or email [email protected].

CDC Holiday Safety Guidelines

This holiday season, consider how your holiday plans can be modified to reduce the spread of COVID-19 or the flu to keep your friends, families and communities healthy and safe. Consider fun alternatives that pose lower risk of spreading COVID-19.

Several factors can contribute to the risk of getting and spreading COVID-19 at small in-person gatherings. In combination, these factors will create various amounts of risk:

• Community levels of COVID-19 – High or increasing levels of COVID-19 cases in the gathering location, as well as in the areas where attendees are coming from, increase the risk of infection and spread among attendees. Family and friends should consider the number of COVID-19 cases in their community and in the community where they plan to celebrate when deciding whether to host or attend a gathering. View the Escambia County COVID-19 Dashboard or the CDC’s COVID Data Tracker County View.
• Exposure during travel – Airports, bus stations, train stations, public transport, gas stations, and rest stops are all places travelers can be exposed to the virus in the air and on surfaces.
• Location of the gathering – Indoor gatherings, especially those with poor ventilation (for example, small enclosed spaces with no outside air), pose more risk than outdoor gatherings.
• Duration of the gathering – Gatherings that last longer pose more risk than shorter gatherings. Being within 6 feet of someone who has COVID-19 for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more greatly increases the risk of becoming sick and requires quarantine.
• Number and crowding of people at the gathering – Gatherings with more people pose more risk than gatherings with fewer people. CDC does not have a limit or recommend a specific number of attendees for gatherings. The size of a holiday gathering should be determined based on the ability of attendees from different households to stay 6 feet (2 arm lengths) apart, wear masks, wash hands, and follow state, local, territorial, or tribal health and safety laws, rules and regulations.
• Behaviors of attendees prior to the gathering – Individuals who did not consistently adhere to social distancing (staying at least 6 feet apart), mask wearing, handwashing, and other prevention behaviors pose more risk than those who consistently practiced these safety measures.
• Behaviors of attendees during the gathering – Gatherings with more safety measures in place, such as mask wearing, social distancing and handwashing, pose less risk than gatherings where fewer or no preventive measures are being implemented. Use of alcohol or drugs may alter judgment and make it more difficult to practice COVID-19 safety measures.

For additional information, visit cdc.gov.