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The Greenville Advocate announced it is temporarily closing its office Monday in response to guidelines issued by the Alabama Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control.

In a release issued last week by the ADPH and Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, it was mandated that “All gatherings of 25 persons or more, or gatherings of any size that cannot maintain a consistent six-foot distance between persons, are prohibited. This Order shall apply to all gatherings, events or activities that bring 25 or more persons in a single room or single space at the same time.”

The Advocate’s Publisher Adam Prestridge said the health and safety of the newspaper’s employees and customers is his primary concern, but that newspaper staff will still be available to assist customers, and that news operations will continue unabated.

“Our office hours will be modified to 8 a.m. until noon, Monday through Friday the week of March 23, and we ask that any payments or news items be slid under our front door before, during or after those hours,” Prestridge said. “When onsite, our staff will communicate with customers through our front door window. Imagine doing business at a bank drive-thru, and that is the approach we are taking. We will assess our office hours weekly as the public health issue continues and keep our customers informed.”

Prestridge said ADPH is suggesting these measures stay in force through at least April 6, thus the newspaper will mirror that timeline and evaluate reopening the office to the public at that time.

“It’s important to remember that this is a very fluid situation at the moment, and circumstances can change rapidly,” he said. “But I can assure you our commitment to reporting how COVID-19 is affecting our community, and how we as a community are rising to the occasion, has not changed. Like you, we are modifying how we structure our business to meet the needs of our customers and our community, but our commitment of service is as strong as it has ever been.”

Customers with questions or requests are asked to call The Advocate’s helpline at (334) 382-3111. If no answer, please message The Advocate’s Facebook page.