Wilmington Coronavirus Action: Cancellations, Schools Stay Closed

WILMINGTON, MA — Wilmington Public Schools are closed again Friday, the district announced Thursday evening. The district was closed Thursday after the administration learned a Wilmington resident and parent of two children was symptomatic of the new coronavirus. The extended closure is necessary to complete a deep cleaning of the schools, Superintendent Glenn Brand said in a letter to parents.

The town of Wilmington also announced a number of cancellations Thursday. All Buzzell Senior Center and Wilmington Memorial Library programs scheduled through April 10 are canceled. The Recreation Department's Villa Roma, Jersey Boys and Foxwoods trips are canceled. Other programs including Kids Test Kitchen, Adult Open Gym basketball, volleyball, Sports 101, Kinder Soccer and Yoga Play are also canceled.

The town underscored that, as of Thursday, March 12, there are no known or confirmed cases of the new virus in Wilmington. Two people previously self-quarantined have tested negative, while one remains in self-quarantine.

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The library is open for its regular hours of operations.

The Senior Center is open during regularly scheduled hours for individual consultations, but seniors are encouraged to call and speak to a staff member before visiting the center. Home delivered meals will follow their regular schedule, as will transportation for wellness visits.

Additional information on the above town services are available at their respective websites: elderly services, Wilmington Memorial Library, and recreation. The full town and school updates are available here.

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.

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Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com