Gloucester Updates



2257425-52387500City of Gloucester COVID-19 Response UpdateMarch 20, 2020Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken and Public Health Director Karin Carroll would like to remind residents that given the rapidly changing circumstances surrounding coronavirus (COVID-19), the City of Gloucester has taken significant unprecedented precautionary measures to limit person to person contact and to slow the spread of the virus.The City’s COVID-19 Response Team, led by Carroll, our City Health Department, first responders and many local partner agencies continue to work closely and meet regularly to discuss the latest guidance and determine the actions needed to keep the City prepared as the situation continues to evolve.We are working around the clock on calls with other municipalities as well as local and state officials while at the same time prioritizing public communication and ensuring critical continuity of City operations. The best way to stay informed on what is happening locally is to check the City’s website, follow Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken’s facebook page, and to sign up for emergency notifications at number of cases in Massachusetts, and Essex County, increase daily. Gloucester has been and continues to be well prepared for this outbreak. Out of an abundance of caution the City has taken appropriate, necessary, but difficult steps to adapt to the situation. Mayor Romeo Theken said, "As we all know at this point this is a very fluid situation with many fast moving developments. Everyone in Gloucester needs to follow all the local and state guidelines and recommendations. Please check in on your family, neighbors and friends – especially seniors. We all have a responsibility to do our part to keep each other and our City safe. “As we head into the weekend we wanted to send a round-up of important information. Health Guidance and RecommendationsAccording to the CDC, symptoms of the virus appear within 2-14 days of exposure. The DPH reports that symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough, shortness of breath and pneumonia in severe cases.Anyone who displays symptoms of COVID-19 are advised to contact their primary care physician.The Gloucester Health Department and the Mayor’s Office encourage the following precautions to prevent infectious diseases from spreading:Wash your hands frequently, with soap and water, for a minimum of 20 seconds (sing happy birthday twice);If you are sick, stay home to protect others;Using proper techniques when coughing or sneezing - cover your nose and mouth when sneezing and coughing with a tissue and discard it immediately or cough into the sleeve over your elbow instead of your hand; Avoiding touching your face;Clean frequently touched surfaces and objects daily; and Restrict all social interactions to essential activities, such as getting food, medicine and gas. Gloucester Updates On Tuesday, Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken declared a local state of emergency that enables us to deploy the resources to meet the needs of our city. It also creates a mechanism for the city to be reimbursed by the federal government for emergency expenses to this crisis. Municipal buildings – including City Hall, City Hall Annex, Rose Baker Senior Center, Lyceum & Sawyer Free Library, Department of Public Works Administrative Offices, Cape Ann Veterans Services Office, and Talbot Rink – continue to be closed to the public. Anyone wishing to do City business is encouraged to do so online or by calling or emailing any city office. Payments or applications may be dropped off in drop boxes located at Gloucester City Hall (Warren Street Entrance) or City Hall Annex at 3 Pond Road. A City department/staff directory can be found here: . Due to high call volume, we encourage everyone to leave a message and City staff will return calls. Many municipal transactions and requests can be completed online.? Visit our City’s website at? to:Pay Motor Vehicle Excise TaxPay Parking TicketsPay Personal Property TaxPay Real Estate TaxPay Water / Sewer BillsDocument a neighborhood concern via SeeClickFixLicense your dogThe Gloucester Police and Fire Departments are restricting access to their stations/lobbies. For emergencies please call 9-1-1. For police non-emergencies please call 978-283-1212 and for fire non-emergencies please call 978-325-5300. All Gloucester Public Schools are closed for three weeks. Arrangements have been made for all students who are in need of a meal to get one. There is a “grab and go” bagged lunch and breakfast operation. Students can pick up a lunch for that day AND breakfast for the next morning at the same time. Curbside pick-up is available 11 AM – 12 PM Monday – Friday at Veterans’ Memorial and Beeman Elementary Schools. Neighborhood bus delivery is now available at the following locations: Veterans’ Way (Riverdale Park) from 10:45 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. and Willowood Road (next to park) from 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. As of Thursday, March 19 and until further notice all City playgrounds are closed. Studies have shown that the virus can stay on surfaces for up to several days and playgrounds are not disinfected. Parks, beaches, and trails remain open. Please do not engage in sports or activities (examples: baseball/softball, football, basketball, soccer) that require physical or shared contact. Get out and enjoy the open spaces in Gloucester while practicing social distancing. There is currently no on premise consumption at any local restaurant. Take-out and delivery options are available throughout the City. For a list of participating establishments visit: Basket, Shaw’s and Stop & Shop have implemented “Senior Shopping Hours” for customers 60 and older. Market Basket hours are 5:30 a.m. – 7 a.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, Shaw’s hours are 7 a.m. – 9 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and Stop & Shop hours are 6:30 a.m. – 7:30 a.m. everyday. With the North Shore and Liberty Tre Mall closures CATA will suspend their Saturday mall bus service on Saturday, March 21 and 28. All other CATA services continue to operate normally at this time.Trash collection will operate on its normal schedule. The compost facility will not be open the last Saturday of this month, March 28. Recycling scheduled for that day has also been cancelled. State & Federal UpdatesYesterday, the Massachusetts National Guard was activated to support the Commonwealth’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak, representing a significant addition of supply chain resources available to the Commonwealth and its residents.??For more information visit: this week a series of new measures to adapt childcare operations, enhance the Commonwealth’s healthcare system’s capacity, assist small businesses, and support unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 outbreak was announced. For more information visit: Charlie Baker announced a three-week suspension of school operations for educational purposes at all public and private elementary and secondary (K-12) schools in the Commonwealth beginning Tuesday, March 17, and a series of new guidance and legislation in response to COVID-19 which included prohibiting gatherings of 25 or more and prohibiting on-premises consumption of food or drink at bars and restaurants. For more information visit: March 10, Governor Charlie Baker declared a state of emergency to support the Commonwealth’s response to coronavirus. For more invitation visit: U.S. Department of State has issued a Global Level 4 Health Advisory?to all U.S. citizens to avoid international travel. For more information please visit: InformationFor more information about COVID-19, call 2-1-1 from any landline or cellphone, visit the City’s website gloucester-, the state’s website , or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website . ................
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