City Hall To Close Wednesday; More: Nashua Coronavirus Update

NASHUA, NH — The city of Nashua is changing the way it delivers its governmental services — limiting access and interactivity with the public and letting employees work from home, in an effort to limit the spread of the new coronavirus. Beginning Wednesday, city hall will be closed to the public, according to Kerry Miller, the communications and special projects coordinator for the city. Beginning Friday, all non-essential city employees will be working from home, as directed by their supervisors, she said.

"We are implementing the city’s plan to limit non-essential interactions between individuals," said Mayor Jim Donchess. "It is critical that we do everything possible to stop the spread of COVID-19. We want to prevent as many people from getting the virus as we possibly can. These steps are necessary to help ensure that the health care system is not overwhelmed with people who have contracted the virus."

Donchess said city officials were also discouraging public gatherings of more than 25 people and requested that the city's senior citizens or those with underlying health conditions, "to limit their outside activities because these populations are most at risk for the virus."

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Miller said police and fire departments will still be active, the bus service will continue, and all out-of-state travel for city employees was prohibited until further notice.

What You Can Do

COVID-19, not unlike the flu and other respiratory illnesses, is spread through respiratory droplets, usually through coughing and sneezing, and exposure to others who are sick or might be showing symptoms. Take the same precautions as you would if you were sick:

• Stay home and avoid public places when sick (i.e. social distancing).
• Cover mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing.
• Wash hands frequently.
• Disinfect frequently touched surfaces.

More information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services about coronavirus can be found here on the department's website.

• Guidance to schools can be found can be found here.
• Instructions for returning travelers to self-observe for symptoms of COVID-19 are available are available here.
• For more information on COVID-19 in NH, visit its site here.
• For the latest information from the CDC, visit its site here.

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