MARSHALL — Lyon County law enforcement is joining the government agencies and public buildings that are taking precautions against the spread of COVID-19. The Lyon County Sheriff’s Office announced it was closing the Lyon County Law Enforcement Center to the public, effective at 4 p.m. Wednesday.

While the Sheriff’s Office and Marshall Police will continue to work, and the LEC, county emergency dispatch and jail will still be staffed, in-person visits to the LEC won’t be allowed. Lyon County Sheriff Eric Wallen said the restriction will help protect law enforcement and staff, as well as jail inmates and members of the public.

“We will continue to monitor the ever-changing health crisis and re-open the law enforcement center to the public as soon as it is safe to do so,” Wallen said.

Wallen said in-person jail visits will be suspended until further notice, but there are other options for visiting inmates at the Lyon County jail, like online visitation. Members of the public can learn more by contacting the Lyon County Jail at 507-929-6622. Money can be deposited on inmates’ accounts by visiting www.inmatecanteen.com.

In a Wednesday news release, Wallen said the LEC will still be staffed 24 hours a day, and normal operations will continue. The building’s lobby will also be accessible for people who need a safe place to report an incident, he said. But people who need to request information or permit applications should contact the LEC by phone, email or mail.

Members of the public should still call 911 for an emergency. Non-emergency calls can be directed to 507-537-7666 or 507-537-7000. Requests for accident reports, public data and permit applications can be made at 507-929-6653.

Department contacts for the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office and Marshall Police Department are listed at the county’s website, www.lyonco.org, and the city of Marshall’s website, https://ci.marshall.mn.us.

Lyon County isn’t the only local government that has been considering ways to prevent coronavirus from spreading in the community. On Wednesday, Lincoln County announced that it will be closing all county buildings to the public March 19-27. County offices will tentatively re-open to the public on March 30.

Earlier this week, Yellow Medicine County announced it would be closing its offices to the public until further notice.

While Lyon County hasn’t closed the Lyon County Government Center in Marshall, the county is asking members of the public to call county offices ahead of time, and avoid coming into the building if it’s not necessary. People who do come to the Lyon County Government Center are being asked to wash their hands in the closest restroom as soon as they enter the building.

The city of Marshall’s offices at Southwest Minnesota State University are still operational, but visitors aren’t encouraged at this time. Members of the public are asked to call or email city staff for assistance.

The city also closed the Adult Community Center and the Red Baron Arena, and suspended Community Services recreation and community education programs.

The Marshall-Lyon County Library is still open under its regular hours, but many events have been canceled or postponed. More information is available at the library’s website, www.marshalllyonlibrary.org.