Pungent, possibly hazardous odor closes Petersburg Health building 'until further notice'

Bill Atkinson, Petersburg Progress-Index
The Petersburg Health Department building at 301 Halifax St. is shown in this undated file photo. On Monday, PHD announced it was closing the location until further notice due to a foul indoor odor stemming from recent roof repair
The Petersburg Health Department building at 301 Halifax St. is shown in this undated file photo. On Monday, PHD announced it was closing the location until further notice due to a foul indoor odor stemming from recent roof repair

PETERSBURG – A “potentially hazardous odor” has prompted the city health department to shut down its Halifax Street location until further notice and redirect services to other departments within the Crater Health District.

“During recent roof repair work on the health department building, the Petersburg Health Department discovered a potentially hazardous environmental odor,” the department said in a Monday morning statement. “Out of an abundance of caution for the safety of staff and clients, the department has suspended operations until the cause of the odor has been identified and evaluated for potential health hazards.”

PHD said the following schedule has been set up:

Clinical Services

  • PHD has cancelled all appointments for 301 Halifax Street until the staff can be relocated to a new site. They will be rescheduled.

  • Appointments for immunizations May 14 will move to the Prince George Health Department, located at 6450 Administration Drive in the courthouse area.

  • A walk-in sexually transmitted infections clinic scheduled for May 17 has been moved to the Hopewell Health Department, 1501 W. City Point Road.

Environmental Health

  • All environmental health services have been rerouted to the Dinwiddie Health Department, 14010 Boydton Plank Road, in the courthouse area. Correspondence regarding all environmental health services can be sent to craterehs1@vdh.virginia.gov.

WIC

  • WIC appointments scheduled for Monday were moved to the Dinwiddie Health Department. Upcoming appointments at Petersburg will be contacted for rescheduling at other Crater Health locations.

Vital Records

  • Anyone needing vital records assistance in Petersburg will be able to go to any of the other departments within the Crater Health District. Hours of operation will be 8:30-11:45 a.m. and 1-4:30 p.m. daily.

If you need a list of other health department locations and contact information, go to the Virginia Department of Health website. For information specific to appointments or other services in Petersburg, call (804) 863-1652.

This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Foul odor in Petersburg Health building prompts closure for time being

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