Andover Coronavirus: State Of Emergency, Election Delay

ANDOVER, MA — The Andover Select Board declared a state of emergency Monday evening over the new coronavirus. The Board also voted to make the election postponement official, fulfilling a court order granting them authority to do so. They did not set a new date for the town election.

The Board voted unanimously for the state of emergency. The state of emergency begins immediately and will continue indefinitely.

According to Town Manager Andrew Flanagan, the declaration does not grant any special authority to any official or town body. Instead, the purpose is to qualify for any federal or state reimbursement or other action that is dependent on a local state of emergency. Town officials are already tracking coronavirus-related spending, to prepare for eventual reimbursement.

"It doesn't change anything in any immediate way in terms of what's already been implemented," Selectman Ann Gilbert said.

Close to 200 cities and towns in Massachusetts have declared a local state of emergency, Flanagan said.

The election postponement will result in a delay of the town meeting as well, Flanagan noted, though the Board did not take any action on it Monday.

>>Andover Coronavirus: Town Reports Second Confirmed Case

>>MA Stay-At-Home Advisory Issued, Nonessential Businesses To Close

>>MA Coronavirus: Towns Can Delay Local Elections

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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.