Andover Coronavirus: Town Asks To Delay Election, Schools Update

ANDOVER, MA — The Andover Select Board voted Monday to request authorization to delay the town election, in response to the new coronavirus. The town will need approval from either the state or the courts in order to delay the election. Until it receives authorization, the town election is still scheduled for Tuesday, March 24.

Regardless of when the election is held, residents can continue to vote absentee. The new date would be determined after authorization is received.

The town closed its offices to the public Monday and Tuesday, as part of attempts to slow the spread of the virus. Officials hope to reopen town offices on Wednesday, on a limited basis, Town Manager Andrew Flanagan told the Board at their emergency meeting. Regular updates from the town are available here.

The school district also shared an update Monday on the three-week closure ordered by Gov. Charlie Baker. The last day of school will be June 18. All events are canceled during the closure. Each school has recommended learning activities on its website, and families can pick up their students' belongings at their schools on March 17.

More information on MCAS testing is expected from the state. The May SAT is canceled, while May AP exams are expected to continue, potentially with students testing at home.

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The board voted 4-0 in favor with two members participating remotely. Select Board Chair Laura Gregory, who is up for re-election, recused herself.

The town will seek authority in four ways: asking the governor for a written order authorizing the postponement, asking the governor and the legislature to pass legislation proposed by the Secretary of the Commonwealth authorizing municipalities to postpone elections, asking a judge for authorization, and asking the governor to file legislation on the town's behalf.

Wellesley received an emergency court order Monday allowing it to postpone its election.

The date of the new election will be determined at a later date. The town will advertise the new date extensively, Town Clerk Austin Simko said.

The town is still preparing to hold the election Tuesday, with precautions including providing disposable writing utensils, hand sanitizer and gloves for election officers and encouraging absentee and off-peak voting. But even the 32 poll workers in the Andover High School Field House would violate the governor's emergency order Sunday barring gatherings over 25.

Simko noted that many poll workers are elderly and thus particularly at risk. Selectman Alex Vispoli noted that turnout would likely be low if the election were held as scheduled.

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Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that include the common cold as well as much more serious diseases. The strain that emerged in China in late 2019, now called COVID-19, is related to others that have caused serious outbreaks in recent years, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the U.S. was on Jan. 21.

The disease, which apparently originated in animals, is now transferring from person to person, although the mechanism is not yet fully understood. Its symptoms include fever, coughing and shortness of breath, and many patients develop pneumonia. There is as yet no vaccine against COVID-19 it and no antiviral treatment.

According to the CDC, the best way of preventing the disease is to avoid close contact with people who are sick, to avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands, to wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and to use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol if soap and water are not available.

To avoid spreading any respiratory illness, the CDC recommends staying at home when you are sick, covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue and throwing the tissue in the trash, cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.