As COVID surges in Northeast Georgia, one of the region’s largest utility providers is taking extra precautions. Habersham EMC announced today it will close the lobbies at its offices in Clarkesville and Cleveland and transition some of its personnel to work remotely.
“The health and safety of our employees and members is a priority for us,” says HEMC President and CEO Bryan Ferguson. By eliminating the concentration of employees in a central location, HEMC hopes to mitigate potential exposure to the virus while minimizing service interruptions.
HEMC will close its office lobbies effective at 5 p.m. Wednesday, December 23. After the Christmas holiday, offices will not reopen to the public. Instead, HEMC members may conduct business through the Clarkesville drive-thru between 8 a.m.- 5 p.m. weekdays. The drive-thru will be closed on New Year’s Day.
Member Service Representatives will continue taking calls and handling email inquiries while working from home. The local cooperative says minimal personnel will still report to the office to handle some on-site duties while complying with the social distancing guidelines.
Crews will continue to work on construction, right-of-way, and maintenance projects. Personnel will be available to respond to any outages and hazards, and Trailwave Fiber installations will continue with proper PPE.
These measures will remain in effect until further notice. The cooperative will continue to monitor COVID conditions and the impact on its service area, which includes Habersham, Hall, Lumpkin, Rabun, Stephens, and White counties.
