LAWTON – For the second time this year, the Comanche County Courthouse will be closed to the public for several weeks because of the statewide resurgence of the coronavirus.
District 2 County Commissioner Johnny Owens said the courthouse doors would be locked after 4 p.m. Wednesday for the Thanksgiving holiday, and the building will remain closed to the public until at least January 4, 2021.
“This thing is spiking,” he said Monday. “We’re doing what we can to protect the public and county employees.”
County officers and their employees, and district judges and their staffs, will continue to answer the phones and perform their duties on weekdays, Owens said.
Drop boxes will be stationed near the main entrance to the courthouse on the west side of the building, and telephone numbers of the various offices (Court Clerk, County Clerk, Treasurer, Assessor, etc.) will be posted on the courthouse doors.
Although the building will be closed, “When you call, you will be helped,” Owens vowed. “If you have to come to the courthouse, we’ll do everything we can to resolve your problem.”
Everyone who enters the courthouse will be required to wear a face mask, he emphasized.
Informational updates will be posted on the county’s website at https://comanchecounty.us and via email at pio@comanchecouonty.us.
The county commissioners will meet again with elected county officials on or about December 28 “to reassess the situation,” Owens said Monday. “We hope to be able to reopen on January 4. But if not, we’ll take whatever action we think is necessary.”
The Comanche County Courthouse was previously closed to the public for 10 weeks, from March 19 through May 31, because of the coronavirus.