San Diego County's recent dip into the most restrictive tier of the state's coronavirus reopening plan will not lead to additional court closures or changes to local court operations, the San Diego Superior Court announced Thursday.
Rising case rates led the state to place San Diego County into the purple tier of the reopening plan, meaning indoor operations will cease at many nonessential businesses starting Saturday.
While court operations were initially put on hold at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, court officials said its essential status will not lead to further modifications even with this latest development. Precautions such as temperature screenings, increased cleaning, social distancing and facial covering requirements remain in place.
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"The San Diego Superior Court has taken steps to ensure that we can still provide the public with access to justice even as our community continues to be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic," said Presiding Judge Lorna Alksne. "Over the past several months, we've increased our online capacity and outfitted our courthouses to safely remain open as an organization that delivers an essential service."
In-person services will be available in some instances and those summoned to jury duty were encouraged to report as directed. Many other court services have been made available online, including virtual hearings available for every case type, electronic document filing and online payment plans.
A complete guide of services available during the pandemic can be viewed online.
