North Andover Coronavirus: Town Declares State Of Emergency

NORTH ANDOVER, MA — The North Andover Board of Selectmen voted to declare a state of emergency at their meeting, Wednesday. The Board authorized the town manager to direct the use of town resources as needed to respond to the new coronavirus outbreak. The state of emergency will last until the Board votes to end it.

"Immediate action is needed to prevent, minimize, or mitigate damage to public health, safety, or general welfare of the people of North Andover and/or property which may otherwise result," the declaration reads.

The declaration will allow the town to issue recommendations, orders and directives, spend beyond budgets if necessary, and shut down certain business types or public buildings, without a meeting of the Board, Town Manager Melissa Murphy-Rodrigues said.

By law the town manager can declare a state of emergency on her, own she said, but she asked the board to join her. The board voted unanimously in favor of the declaration.

The full state of emergency declaration is available here.

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The town declaration follows a statewide declaration March 10 and local declarations in cities and towns including Worcester, Marlborough, Somerville, Medford, Brookline, Weymouth and Walpole.

The Board postponed a decision to request a delay to the town election, which is currently scheduled for March 31. The town would need authorization from a court or the state to do so. Andover received such authorization from the Essex County Superior Court earlier Wednesday.

Two members, Chris Nobile and Regina Kean, recused themselves from the town election discussion and vote. The selectmen will discuss the possibility of delaying election again at their meeting Monday.

Town offices and the public schools are closed to the public and the town has two confirmed coronavirus cases. Free meals area available for pickup daily from the school district.

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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.