New security measures added for Luzerne County government reopening

Luzerne County security workers stopped visitors the moment they stepped foot inside the Penn Place building in Wilkes-Barre Monday — the first day some county buildings were open to the public during the coronavirus pandemic.

In a new screening station set up at the entrance before visitors can access the lobby, security workers obtained a no-contact temperature reading and asked questions about coronavirus symptoms and exposure to anyone infected.

Visitors also had to identify their destination inside the building.

Security has a chart with the maximum number of visitors permitted in each office to allow for social distancing. Using erasable markers, workers shaded and wiped clean space allotment boxes as people entered and departed. If all boxes for an office are shaded, additional visitors would have to wait in a covered space outside, officials said.

At the rear basement entrance to the courthouse, a tent has been set up outside to perform this same screening and visitor capacity assessment, said county Sheriff Brian Szumski.

Officials opted for the rented, metal-frame tent at the courthouse because there is no covered location outside, Szumski said. Eighteen chairs were set up in the tent for people required to wait for access, he said.

Once cleared for entry, visitors must wear a mask and proceed through metal detectors as usual, with floor markings to keep people spaced apart.

Only two people at a time are permitted on Penn Place and courthouse elevators, and each elevator floor has a footprint marking on each side to direct where elevator occupants must stand.

Szumski said he wasn’t aware of any visitors at either location required to wait to access offices Monday or any objections to the added screening or requirement to wear masks.

“It’s been steady most of the day, and we have not had any issues. Everybody seems to understand the system, and they’re fine with it,” Szumski said.

County Manager C. David Pedri said the first day of gradual reopening “went very, very smoothly.”

“It was good to see a lot of people back. Obviously there’s less foot traffic because there is no criminal court yet,” Pedri said.

Movement to reopening is possible because the county is now in the middle “yellow” phase of more relaxed coronavirus restrictions.

Some services switched to appointment- and online-only during the pandemic will remain that way for a period as the reopening unfolds, he said.