Tewksbury Coronavirus: Town Declares State Of Emergency

TEWKSBURY, MA — The Tewksbury Board of Selectmen declared a state of emergency for the new coronavirus outbreak at an emergency meeting Friday morning. The declaration allows the town manager and other officers of the selectmen to make emergency expenditures and to impose limits on hours and access to public buildings, among other powers. The state of emergency begins Friday and will last until the Board declares it over.

"It allows the town to take actions or do things they could not usually do," Town Manager Richard Montuori summarized.

Tewksbury reported its first confirmed case of the new virus on Thursday. The Board voted unanimously in favor, with two members participating remotely. The Board of Health will have the opportunity to take up the declaration as well, granting them similar powers.

The full meeting is available here. Montuori also updated the Board on the town's actions in response to the outbreak, including closing town offices to the public, closing recreation areas and closing the schools.

The Board will discuss other actions related to the new virus at their meeting Tuesday, including potentially delaying the annual town election and the annual town meeting.

>>Under Local State Of Emergency: What That Means In Massachusetts

>>Tewksbury Coronavirus: First Confirmed Case, Pipes Clogged

>>Gov. Baker Declared A State Of Emergency. What Does That Mean?

Don't miss updates about precautions in your area as they are announced. Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters.

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. 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.