Testing for COVID-19 in Clay County is ramping up — and spots are filling up quickly — and the push to help residents affected by job loss were the main points of emphasis on Wednesday as the county eases into the next phase of its recovery.
John Ward, the director of emergency management for Clay County, expanded on two major topics that residents have been asking about for weeks and said that those continue to move forward.
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On the employment front, Ward said the county is partnering with CareerSource to help residents segue back into employment as the businesses slowly begin to rehire and resume operations. Clay County residents can access that information here.
“Beginning next Monday, five days a week, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., they're going to be there helping our citizens get reemployed,” Ward said. “Staff will be available to assist job seekers and registering in the employee portal, which is a statewide system for reemploying our citizens. They have many jobs that are available.”
That option is not for unemployment benefits and doesn’t take the place of any assistance that is already underway. Ward stressed that it is only for those residents who are currently in search of jobs.
The local testing in Clay County is another asset that has slowly become available to residents. During the early portions of the pandemic, testing sites were not available in Clay as they were in places like Jacksonville.
Testing at various locations in Clay are by appointment only and they have been filling up rapidly, Ward said. Appointments on Wednesday and Thursday at Omega Park had already been taken, as had appointment slots Friday and Monday at the county administration parking lot.
Appointments for May 12-13 at Oakleaf Athletic Association and May 14-15 at Walter Odom Park remain available. To schedule an appointment, call 877-252-9362.
• Also, the Orange Park branch of the Clay County Clerk’s Office reopened on Tuesday for in-person services of passport and marriage license applications only. Keystone Heights and Middleburg locations remain closed at this point. To make an appointment at the Orange Park location, call 541-2784. Glass partitions were installed last week as a safety precaution. The outside dropbox at the Orange Park branch is also reopened.