General County News
Tuesday, July 28th, 2020
Yesterday, the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors passed an emergency ordinance to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The ordinance provides modifications to Fo rwar d Virginia: Phase Three guidelines. All other Forward Virginia: Phase Three guidelines apply . The ordinance takes effect at 12 am on August 1st, 2020.

Here are the modifications to Phase Three the ordinance will bring to Albemarle County:
  • Cloth face coverings must be worn in all indoor public spaces and in all outdoor public spaces where 6’ of physical distancing is not possible.
  • Gatherings will be restricted to 50 persons, with limited exceptions.
  • Indoor occupancy in food establishments, wineries, breweries, and distilleries will be limited to 50% of Certificate of Occupancy (CO) capacity, with a 50 person limit for those businesses without a CO.

To promote education and compliance with this ordinance, the Board of Supervisors also approved an ambassador program that will launch in the coming weeks. Ambassadors will visit area businesses to share educational resources and inform onsite management of any compliance issues they may observe. More information about the ambassador program will be released when it becomes available.

To ensure compliance in keeping our community safe, violations of this ordinance are punishable as misdemeanors (Class 1 for a person failing to wear a face covering or failing to disperse from a gathering, Class 3 for business owner or onsite manager failing to comply with occupancy limits).

Concerns regarding potential violations may be directed to
the Virginia Department of Health:
What You Can Do
First, share this message with your neighbors, friends, and colleagues.  Signup to receive these messages in your inbox .  

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a wealth of resources for businesses, households, schools, and faith-based organizations at   cdc.gov/coronavirus . The CDC is specifically encouraging people to:

  • Wear a cloth face covering in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies).
  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick. 
  • Put distance between yourself and other people (social distancing).
  • Stay home when you are sick, except to get medical care. 
  • Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue and throw the tissue in the trash. 
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing; going to the bathroom; and before eating or preparing food. 
  • If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty. 
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces and objects (e.g., tables, countertops, light switches, doorknobs, and cabinet handles)
Stay Up-To-Date on COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Information


The Thomas Jefferson Health District (TJHD) is our community’s local public health agency and works closely with the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  TJHD has opened a hotline at (434) 972-6261 to answer questions from the public regarding COVID-19. At this time, that number is staffed Monday through Friday from 8 am to 4:30 pm. The public can leave messages that will be returned as soon as possible.

If you are experiencing a medical emergency, please call 911.