Wilmington Coronavirus: Meetings Postponed, Buildings Closed

WILMINGTON, MA — All town buildings will be closed to the public Monday, Wilmington Town Manager Jeffrey Hull announced. The Veteran Services office and the Senior Center will be open by appointment only, while other services will be available online or by phone only. Town Hall, the Wilmington Memorial Library and the Public Works Administrative offices will remain open for business, but the facilities will be closed. The town will announce Monday whether public buildings will be open the rest of the week.

The town has also decided to postpone all public meetings this week. Replacement dates have not been determined. The schools announced Friday that they would be closed for the next two weekw.

The town asked that residents consider "deferring matters that are not time sensitive," while other matters can be handled by email or phone. Payments can be made online or using the drop box next to the main entrance of Town Hall. To drop off or pick up documents, residents are asked to call ahead to arrange to meet an employee outside the building.

>>Wilmington Schools To Close For Two Weeks: Coronavirus In MA

>>Wilmington Coronavirus Action: Cancellations, Schools Stay Closed

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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.