Washington Heights Closes Community Board Office

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — Washington Heights and Inwood's community board will cancel upcoming meetings and close its offices amid the coronavirus pandemic, the board chair announced Tuesday.

Community Board 12's office on West 166th Street will be closed from Tuesday until Monday, March 23 as its staff works remotely, Chair Eleazar Bueno said in the notice.

The board has also postponed its Executive Committee meeting and cancelled the March District Service Cabinet meeting, which were both originally scheduled for this week.

The board is one of several community boards in New York City that have closed office, cancelled or held off on meetings as officials advise New Yorkers to stay at home during the coronavirus outbreak.

So far, 12 New York state residents have died and 1,374 residents have tested positive for coronavirus as of Tuesday, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Ten thousand people have been tested and, since Monday, 432 new positive cases were confirmed, said Cuomo.

The Manhattan Borough President's Office in Northern Manhattan and downtown will also be closed this week to all in-person meetings, groups, walk-ins, and visitors, CB12 said. MBPO staff has been instructed to work remotely from home and will be responsive to emails, text, and calls accordingly.

The board said its staff will still be sending out necessary communication and alerts to the neighborhood during the closure.