The city of Bainbridge Island has issued a “Proclamation of Local Emergency” because of the spread of 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

Officials said the proclamation was in response to Sunday’s announcement of the first positive test result of COVID-19 in Kitsap County, which came after a Bainbridge resident in their 60s was tested for COVID-19 at the University of Washington.

Bainbridge officials said the proclamation “allows the city to use all resources necessary to prepare for and respond to an outbreak, to adjust city policies and operations if needed, and to access state or federal funds and other resources related to emergency response.”

City officials also noted that Bainbridge’s municipal court is allowing telephonic hearings to minimize the number of people coming to the courthouse in Rolling Bay.

Staff at Bainbridge Island Municipal Court are asking people to not come in for a court hearing or passport appointment, but to contact the clerk instead to reschedule andy hearing or passport appointments to a later date. The court can be reached at 206-842-5641.

No other changes have been made to city operations or services, city officials said, and city council meetings and committee meetings will be held as usual.

Officials said the city will ramp up cleaning services to city-owned public spaces at city hall, the Bainbridge Island Senior Community Center, the police station, and the municipal court.

Bainbridge’s proclamation follows one adopted Monday by Kitsap County.

Kitsap officials also adopted a “Proclamation of Emergency” in response to the positive test of COVID-19 for the Bainbridge resident. Both the director of the Kitsap County Department of Emergency Management and the Board of County Commissioners issued emergency proclamations.

In the proclamation from county commissioners, officials said the Kitsap Public Health District had “received significant resource requests from across Kitsap County.”

The county proclamation gives the county authority to waive competitive bidding and procurement requirements, as does the Bainbridge proclamation.

The Bainbridge proclamation states: “The situation is sufficiently serious that it is necessary to proclaim an emergency within the city due to the possibility that the spread of COVID-19 may become a pandemic.”

The proclamation was signed Monday by City Manager Morgan Smith.

It will stay in place until it is terminated by Smith or rescinded by the city council.

The city’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) will remain on standby, city officials said Monday.

Activation of the Emergency Operations Center will be determined by resource requests from local clinics, health care providers and other community partners, according to the city.