North Andover Coronavirus: Annual Town Election Delayed To June 2

NORTH ANDOVER, MA — The North Andover Board of Selectmen voted Monday night to delay the annual town election to June 2. The Board had initially hesitated at their March 18 meeting, but were convinced by the week's events with regards to coronavirus. The state legislature passed a bill Monday allowing municipalities to delay their elections due to the virus.

The Board voted 3-0 in favor, with Selectmen Chris Nobile and Regina Kean recusing.

The June 2 date was chosen to coincide with a new date for state legislative special elections, according to Town Manager Melissa Murphy-Rodrigues.

The Board received a strong recommendation from the town Board of Health to postpone the election, which members said had an impact. The town said it would have a hard time protecting both election workers and the public in the event the election was held as scheduled.

The state legislation also allows voters to cast their ballots early by mail, without excuse, during the coronavrius state of emergency.

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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.