How your community is addressing coronavirus

Date: 3/13/2020

Updated at: March 17, 2020  – 4:45 p.m.

Since Gov. Charlie Baker announced a state of emergency on March 10 for Massachusetts, local school districts, committees, boards, senior centers, libraries and other services have begun the process of shutting down. Baker announced on March 13 during a noontime press conference that gatherings of more than 250 people. The ban applies too community events, civic, public, leisure, faith-based events, sporting events with spectators, concerts, conventions, fundraisers, parades, fairs, festivals, and any similar event or activity.

He then later restricted gatherings to no more than 25 people during a press conference on March 15. During the press conference he also announced all public schools across the Commonwealth would close for a mandatory three-week period and starting April 15, restaurants and bars across the state will no longer be allowed to offer in-house food and beverages, instead they will only be allowed to offer take-out. 

The restriction, however, would not apply to airports, bus and train stations, medical facilities, polling locations, grocery stores, or other spaces where 25 or more persons may be in transit.

As March the number of positive coronavirus cases in Massachusetts had risen to 197, including the first positive case in Hamdpen County.  

Additionally, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) voted and announced on March 14 that the state's three casinos would be closed for two weeks beginning on March 15.

In an effort to keep residents of our communities apprised of what services, schools and meetings are closed or canceled, Reminder Publishing has reached out to senior center directors, town managers, mayors and health departments for information on individual communities. This story will be updated on a daily basis – if not multiple times a day. Please check back for more information on your community as this story unfolds.

AGAWAM

The Agawam School Committee met for their regularly scheduled meeting on March 10 where Superintendent of Schools Steven Lemanski said a message had been prepared to send out to parents on March 11. He said he had been working closely with the director of maintenance to ensure “bathroom supplies are stocked.” Additionally, Lemanski said he had been in “constant contact” with the town’s health agent Kathleen Auer.

Lemanski told Reminder Publishing as of March 12 all out of state field trips had been canceled. He announced on March 13 that Agawam High School would close for the day “out of an abundance of caution.” The decision to cancel school, he said in an online letter to families, was made after finding out “a family member of an Agawam High School student has flu-like symptoms and was reporting to his physician.”

Later in the day on March 13, the Lower Pioneer Valley Education Collaborative (LPEVC) announced they would close the seven schools within the collaborative. The districts include Agawam, E. Longmeadow, Longmeadow, Hampden-Wilbraham, Ludlow, Southwick-Tolland-Granville, West Springfield.

Agawam Mayor William Sapelli told Reminder Publishing that as of the morning of March 13, that the Agawam Public Library and Agawam Senior Center would close. The library will close beginning Saturday at 5 p.m. Late fees will be waived while the library while they are closed. The library will remain closed until March 31, and may be closed longer if needed. 

Also cancelled was the Agwam Cultural Center's Applause Series on April 3 that was scheduled to take place at the senior center. 

CHICOPEE

Prior to Baker's closure of schools, Chicopee Public Schools announced on March 13 that they will be closed for two weeks. They noted in a statement that "The duration of this closure may be extended as this is a fluid situation and information changes daily."

A representative of Mayor John Vieau’s office said there were no changes to the city’s plans to conduct public meetings at this time and, as of this writing on March 13, the mayor remained in discussions regarding the city’s approach.

The Chicopee Senior Center remains open, but all center sponsored travel trips have been canceled until the month of April. “We will look at the situation again in the middle of April and see if we need to extend that,” Sherry Manyak, the center’s executive director, said. Manyak also shared that the center has purchased two hand-sanitizing stations and is requesting all center attendees sanitize their hands as they enter the building and as they enter each room. Staff is also cleaning the building three times each day, and they have closed the use of the center to any outside groups at this time. “We are taking directives from the city’s Health Department,” Manyak added.

EAST LONGMEADOW

The East Longmeadow Public School Superintendent Gordon Smith sent out a robocall on March 13 letting the community know that schools will be closed from March 16 to March 27, before Baker's descision to close schools for three weeks. 

Reminder Pubishing spoke with Smith after the decision was made. Smith explained that the district is closed officially until March 27, but they'll "revisit that decision. It was one that was not made in haste."

Smith explained that they are working with the Board of Health, and that the decision to close is "really out of prevention." He said, "It kept coming back to what is our responsibility at this step?"

Continuing, Smith shared that they have received guidance from the state. "They gave us scenarios and ways to think about it, but it ended up being a local decision."

The district has started to look at "remote or continuous learning," as Smith said they are "well equipped" to use Google Classroom in the district. "We're always concerned about the students," he said, adding that they're doing outreach to put together options for students who rely on free or reduced lunch and breakfast.

Town Manager Mary McNally published a press release explaining what services would continue in East Longmeadow, along with which services would be discontinued until further notice.

The East Longmeadow Library and the Pleasantview Senior Center suspended services starting March 12. The Library and Center’s services will be revisited April 1 or sooner, as circumstances dictate. The Senior Center will remain open for Meals on Wheels deliveries, previously scheduled AARP Tax preparation appointments and meetings with the director of Community Services, by appointment. The East Longmeadow Recreation Department will remain open. All non-essential Town sponsored travel will be suspended, all municipal gatherings of over 50 people will be postponed and all out of town field trips will be postponed or canceled.

“We believe these steps are in line with the governor’s recent call to action in the prevention efforts. Non-pharmaceutical interventions such as these, are actions in a community can take to help slow the spread of illness or reduce the adverse impact of public health emergencies. It is our hope that pursuing these slight modifications will greatly reduce the spread of COVID-19 throughout our community,” McNally wrote in a statement. “We want to remind the public that even if you are not over 60, or do not have a compromised immune system, you could still be exposed. We ask that all of our residents follow these best practices to protect themselves.”

In regard to upcoming town council, school committee, planning board and other community meetings, McNally told Reminder Publishing on March 12, “Presently there are no plans to discontinue regular meetings of boards and committees.”

The press release provided by the Town indicated the standard protocol that has been advised by other organizations: if you’re sick, stay home. Frequently wash your hands and avoid touching your face. If you need to cough or sneeze, use the inside of your elbow, not your hands, to cover your mouth. “Practice good social distancing techniques,” and to “consider using an elbow bump instead of a handshake or hug and while talking with someone keep a six feet distance between you or other people.”

ENFIELD

Enfield Public Schools Superintendent Christopher Drezek shared a press release on March 12 that all Enfield Public Schools and offices will be closed indefinitely effective immediately. 

“By now, most students should have their distance learning packets. I have requested a waiver so that in the event of an extended school closure, our distance learning plan would count as actual school days. As of right now, I have not received a decision regarding our request, so for Friday, March 13, the district does not expect students to begin working on their distance learning packets, and teachers will not be required to be available to assist students remotely,” Drezek wrote.

He continued to note that he would update the Enfield Public Schools community with expectations regarding their distance learning plan, and for any students who do not have their distance learning packets, parents can go to the central office at 1010 Enfield St. on March 13 between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. to pick up those materials.

“As the Commissioner of Education told all Connecticut superintendents a few moments ago, none of us were trained on how to deal with a pandemic in our graduate programs, so everyone is doing the best we can for our children and families during this unprecedented time,” he wrote. “I want to thank you all for your patience and understanding during this difficult time. Please know that the safety and well-being of our children and staff is our highest priority, and every decision I make will be with this in mind.”

Enfield Town Manager Christopher Bromson along with staff attended the North Central District Health Department’s Coronavirus Public Health Briefing on March 12 with other member towns. According to a press release from Bromson, “After receiving updates and in consultation with Patrice Sulik, the Director of the North Central District Health Department, Chris Drezek, the Superintendent of Enfield Public Schools, Mayor Michael Ludwick and the Enfield Town Council, our Emergency Management Director Steve Hall, and other Town Government officials, the Town Manager has issued a Declaration of State of Emergency pursuant to the Governor’s Declaration of Public Health Emergency on March 10, 2020. 

“In the interest of public safety and public health and in consultation with the same officials, the town of Enfield will be closing the Central Library, Pearl Street Library, Senior Center and Recreation Department indefinitely to help minimize the spread of the COVID 19 virus. This will be effective as of 5 p.m. March 12. All three of these facilities are popular gathering points for people in the community, especially those that are most vulnerable to the virus.

“The library is enhancing its collection of eBooks and downloadable audiobooks through the Overdrive and Hoopla platforms so that material will still be available remotely. Reference and research services will still be available by emailing libraryquestion@enfield.org. Library patrons are welcome to return books to the book drop, but if they choose not to, they will not be charged fines. 

“Meals on Wheels will continue to be run out of the Senior Center for as long as CRT is able to provide the meals. We are working on a ‘grab and go’ system for residents who usually take advantage of CRT’s congregate meals. If you currently use this service, please call the Senior Center at 860-763-7425 for more details.

“Lastly, if you are able to conduct your town business remotely, please strive to do so.  Please visit our website, www.enfield-ct.gov, or call 860-253-6300 to see if you can do your business remotely.”

On March 13, Bromson further announced that while the March 16 Town Council meeting would proceed, it would be closed to the public. Residents with concerns or questions were encouraged to send an email to their councilor or the Town Manager's Office at townmanager@enfield.org.

Additionally, the town announced it would close the Early Childhood Development Center (ECDC) at the Stowe Early Learning Center, the Family Resource Centers (FRC) at Stowe and Henry Barnard, the Youth Center, and the Adult Day Center until further notice, effective the end of business on March 13.

"Efforts have been made to individually contact all participants," Bromson said in a statement. "We recognize and do not take lightly the impact on the families we serve and are confident that keeping families and our employees healthy is a shared desire."

Bromson said a notice regarding the ECDC and FRC closures would sent through email, phone, Facebook and DoJo. Parents may contact the ECDC at 860-763-7003, and the Family Resource Centers at 860-253-4721. He added that information about the Youth Center closing would be posted on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and staff would call and assist parents with concerns. The Youth Service offices will remain open and staff will be available to assist youth and families. They can be reached at 860-253-6380.

"While we know these actions will cause some concern and inconvenience, we have a responsibility and obligation to protect both our residents and employees from the COVID-19 virus," Bromson said.

HAMPDEN

At Hampden’s Emergency Management Team meeting on March 13, The decision was made to close the Public library and the Town Hall to public at the Police Department, 100 Allen St., to discuss actions to be taken in response to the outbreak of COVID-19. The Hampden Senior Center is closed for all services, with the exception of emergency appointments only. 

There is no transportation being provided by the Council on Aging (COA). The Tri-Town Trolley is not currently running. The Senior Center is referring seniors in need of non-COVID-19-related healthcare to Dispatch Health, a mobile health service that accepts most insurance, according to COA Director Becky Moriarty.

The Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District, in conjunction with other districts served by the Lower Pioneer Valley Educational Collaborative decided to close schools from March 16 to March 27. They have also has postponed all field trips and school events until further notice. In addition, all community events that take place on school property, such as local youth sports, are postponed indefinitely.

HILLTOWNS

Officials in the town of Otis announced on March 10 that one presumptive case of COVID-19 had been identified in the community. The individual was transported by Otis Rescue Squad for an unrelated medical condition and the patient was being hospitalized. Three of the town’s Rescue Squad EMTs were notified by the Department of Public Health (DPH) that they had been in contact with a presumptive positive patient.

In response, those EMTs began self-quarantine procedures and the Center Station Firehouse was closed until the DPH notified the town that the firehouse and ambulance were safe. In the meantime, Rescue Squad and Fire Department members shifted equipment to the East Otis firehouse to ensure there would be no disruption in service.

In light of this presumptive case and the fact that seniors are among the populations most vulnerable for the virus, the town closed its Council on Aging effective March 12 with plans to re-evaluate the issue on March 30.

The Board of Selectmen voted to change the due date for dog licenses and compactor stickers from April 1 to May 1.

Blandford Town Administrator Joshua Garcia indicated there was no directive or temporary policy in place to reschedule or cancel public meetings of boards and committees. The decision to conduct a meeting remains with each individual town entity, but the town will provide guidance.

“We are communicating with Blandford personnel on preventative measures they should be taking when putting their meeting together,” he said. “There is going to be a suggestion to limit the number of agenda items and to decide whether a meeting needs to take place in order to maintain their regular operations.”

Garcia added boards and committees would be asked to include an option for members to access and participate in meetings remotely. The public will also be encouraged to send their questions and concerns to a governing body in advance of a meeting to ensure their issue can be properly addressed.

“We want to be sure we honor the Open Meeting Law,” he said.

In an update from the Blandford Board of Health, Board of Selectmen and Emergency Management emailed to the community on March 13, officials also urged the public to call ahead to confirm that a public meetings are taking place and referred the community to the town's website for updated cancellation information.

Officials informed the public that there would be "no access through the purple doors inside the lobby of Town Hall without prior authorization from the department you are doing business with." Those with business must call ahead. Those wishing to pay taxes were instructed to leave payments in the drop box outside of Town Hall or make payments online.

Blandford Council on Aging Director Judy MacKinnon told Reminder Publishing the decision was made to cancel its St. Patrick’s Day dinner on March 13. “We will present information to our Council on Aging board this coming Monday [March 16] to decide what to do going forward,” she said. In the aforementioned email, the town added the Council on Aging would be unable to provide transportation to those exhibiting cold- or flu-like symptoms.

Chester Board of Health member Elizabeth S. Massa said Town Hall, the Council on Aging and the library is closed as of March 13.

Massa said the town has been in touch with the Department of Public Health since the beginning of March. “We’ve been on this for two weeks,” Massa said over the weekend. The Board of Selectmen and all heads of departments held an emergency meeting on March 10 at 4 p.m., which some joined by telephone. Massa noted that open meeting laws have been loosened due to the crisis.

“Town Hall is open, but not open to the public,” Massa said. All staff will be working, and residents are asked to call or email them.

The town of Chester is providing daily updates on its website, townofchester.net, and on the Facebook page at Chester Community Forum. “The situation changes daily. It’s a fluid situation. That’s why it’s important to let residents know every day what’s going on,” Massa said.

The COA will continue their lunches through a pickup and go program. Anyone who is signed up is asked to call the COA for more information. Brown Bag will still take place for March.

“All the elderly in town are still getting their meals,” Massa said.

If anyone needs a birth certificate or other documents, they are asked to call the town clerk at 354-6603, who will do her best to accommodate residents.

Town officials also advise any resident who is planning to attend an event to call first, as many are canceling due to the precautions of dealing with Covid-19.

Massa said the Board of Health has been putting sign-in sheets in the last two weeks for residents visiting Town Hall, Chester Railway Station and the Village Enterprise Center. She said the next step for the Board of Health will be issuing quarantine papers for people who think they may have been exposed.  

Massa said people who are under quarantine for a positive test, will be cleared from quarantine after two negative tests. Drive-through testing will be available at Walgreens, CVS and Wal-Mart mid-week, according to information from the DPH, Massa said.

Massa acknowledged that town officials can’t enforce quarantine. “Right now it’s all voluntary quarantine. You can’t force people to stay home.”

The Board of Health’s advice is to stay home if symptoms exist, except to see an emergency health professional. “The safest things to do is don’t go out. Stay home,” Massa said, adding that there are diseases all year round, and frequent washing of hands helps stop the spread of them all.

She said people are now saying they were around someone who was sick, but don’t know if they had COVID-19 or not, or whether they were exposed.

“These people end up saying they will just stay home. It’s the smartest thing you can do,” Massa said. “Maybe you were in contact. If you stay home, you’ll stop the spread.”

Massa said the three most important supplies to have at home are food, water and medicine.

“It all comes down to yourself. Be responsible, and be responsible to the people around you,” Massa said.

She said the Board of Health did a site inspection on March 14, and she wore a respirator and protective suit she keeps in her car. They have been advised that even in full gear with a respirator, they should stay six feet away.

“Everybody’s going to do the best we can, and we’ll get through it,” Massa said, adding, “The big thing is we don’t know how long it will last.”

Huntington Board of Selectmen chair Edward Renauld and Board of Health Chair Melissa Reid issued a letter on March 14, announcing that all town of Huntington buildings will be closed to the public effective immediately.

Employees should still report to work.

All activities and events at Stanton Hall are canceled.

The expected reopen date is March 30 but is subject to change. “The COVID-19 Working Group will reassess periodically,” according to the letter.

Town meetings will take place as scheduled but will be held at Stanton Hall. Members of the public who have appointments may still come in but will be asked to confirm that they are free from COVID-19 symptoms. Everyone is asked to sanitize their hands upon arrival and departure.

“We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. We will continue to monitor the situation and recommendations of the CDC and Massachusetts Department of Public Health. We are committed to maintaining consistent and transparent communications to our community through this constantly changing event,” stated Renauld and Reid in the letter.

In a notice dated March 13, the Hilltown Community Ambulance Association stated that until further notice, no visitors would be allowed at the facility, including employees not currently scheduled to work, board members, and all other visitors.

Anyone experiencing a medical emergency should call 911 and should not drive themselves to HCAA. For any non-emergent need, call Service Director Angela Mulkerin at 667-3277 or 454-3728.

The Gateway Regional School District announced it would close in part due to information received indicating a parent may have tested positive for coronavirus. However, the town of Blandford added in its email to the community, "While we have canceled school for student at this time, we have no verification that anyone in our schools has been directly exposed to Coronavirus so no quarantine is currently justified."

In a letter sent home to parents on March 13, Superintendent David Hopson said, “ It is important that we as a district continue to provide educational support and vital services particularly for families that depend on the school for more than just academic instruction."

Students in grades 3-12 will be sent home with their Chromebooks and the insurance requirement on those laptops will be temporarily waived. Staff was scheduled to receive additional training on remote instruction and to plan for how they will work with students.

“We are still trying to figure out how we are getting everything in line,”?Hopson said. “The planning overall will not be demonstably different whether it’s three weeks or more and we hope to have details available in the next few days.”

Hopson admitted that the longer the schools are unable to offer in-person instruction, the more challenging the task of resuming regular classroom work will become.

“There is no substitute for having a teacher work with childen in the classroom,” he said, adding the district may also extend additional resources to families over the summer in the event that schools are closed for a longer period or even the remainder of the 2019-20 school year.

The district will also be providing directions next week on how the district would continue to provide free and reduced price meals to qualified students. Special education staff will contact families of students with specialized educational needs.

Hopson said the details on food distribution were still being ironed out as of this writing, but he noted it would be available at all of the district’s schools in spite of the fact that it would only be reimbursed for the service in Chester.

The Hampshire Regional School District also closed on March 13.

“Please bear in mind that while the health and safety of students and the community is of paramount importance to us, education is also our mission. As such, we will be working to take measures to ensure that every student is provided the opportunity to learn and continue making progress,” Superintendent Aaron Osborne wrote in his announcement.

On March 14, the district announced it “became aware that a member of our schools has been determined to be a presumptive positive case of COVID-19.” As a result, the planned in person day for instructional staff on Monday, March 16.

“Local boards of health will be looking at potential exposures and assessing risk in the coming days and we will provide what information we can as it becomes available,” the announcement said.

A request for comment from Osborne was not returned as of the morning of March 16.

HOLYOKE

Holyoke Media announced on March 13 that Holyoke City Coucil is suspending all meetings until further notice. Earlier in the week, on March 10, Mayor Alex Morse announced the cancellation of the St. Patrick’s Parade and Road Race for the first time in the history of the events.

The inital closure of Holyoke Public Schools was announced on March 13 during a press conference. However, schools will provide to-go bags of both breakfast and lunch from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the following schools: Donahue, Holyoke High School North, Kelly, Lawrence and Sullivan.

Holyoke Community College has suspended all on-campus classes from March 23 to March 27. Online courses will continue. The library, CAPs, Thrive, the HCC food pantry and college offices will remain open. The Campus Center dining commons will be close but the P.O.D. will be open for grab-and-go breakfast, lunch, and snacks. PVTA bus service will still be available.

In accordance with city-wide policy, and amid growing concerns regarding the potential spread of the novel coronavirus, the Holyoke Council on Aging (COA) and Senior Center will be closed except for essential services beginning March 13. Essential services will include scheduled appointments with the COA social worker, a temporary to-go lunch program, paid individual health services (chair massage, foot care, and acupuncture), transportation to regularly scheduled medical appointments, and individual AARP tax preparation appointments. The COA sait it would continue those services for as long as possible, but acknowleged they may need to be temporarily discontinued at some point. The Senior Center will remain fully staffed until further notice.

Morse announced on March 15 that City Hall, City Hall Annex and the Department of Public Works would be closed starting on March 16. However, regularly scheduled trash and recycling pickup would continue. 

The St. Patrick’s Committee of Holyoke has made the decision to cancel the second annual Marshal Mania concert keeping with the ban set forth by Governor Charlie Baker for any gatherings of over 250 people. The fast and contagious spread of the coronavirus has become a public health and safety concern and though this was not an easy decision to make we want to keep our Committee members and our community healthy and safe.

LONGMEADOW

On March 11, the town of Longmeadow released a news flash on their website, longmeadow.org, explaining their own Coronavirus information. The release noted that earlier this month a working group was formed with representatives from both the town departments and school district to monitor the changing conditions and potential impacts to the community from COVID-19. 

The release continued to explain that in response toBaker’s declaration of a state of emergency, the working group convened to consider additional protective measures to “ensure a proactive approach toward limiting the spread of the new coronavirus in our community, particularly to those most at risk.”

Starting on March 12, the additional measures the Town listed they would be taking are as follows: 

• Cancel or postpone any event with a potential gathering of 50 people or more.
• Cancel or postpone any event with a potential gathering of 20 or more people likely to attract groups who are at the highest risk, which includes seniors over the age of 60 or people with underlying health conditions.
• Activities and programs at the Council on Aging have been suspended. Meals on Wheels, individual appointments and tax preparation will continue by appointment only. Call 565-4150 for specific information.
• Storrs Library will be closed. Call 565-4181 for specific information.
• Programming and activities offered by the Parks & Recreation Department will continue, please call 565-4160 for specific information.
• Cancel or postpone town board, committee and/or commission meetings that are non-essential during this time.
• Encourage the public to transact business with town departments via telephone, email or drop box locations.
• Signage has been posted at all town buildings informing the public that they should not enter the building if they are sick, to please call to schedule services or meet with staff remotely.

The release continued to explain that it is anticipated that these measures will be in place until March 31, and if needed, will be extended. In a statement to Reminder Publishing, Town Manager Lyn Simmons explained that upcoming meeting cancelations will be reviewed on an “as-needed basis.” 

“Boards and committees with planned meetings through March will be postponed or canceled. This will be reviewed on an as-needed basis. Items that would be essential would include the town budget and setting the warrant. Other items will be considered, but we are taking a conservative approach to limiting the need for boards and committees to gather, to help slow the spread of the new coronavirus in our community,” Simmons stated.

SPRINGFIELD

Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno declared a state of emergency for the city on March 13.

“In the name of public health and safety I have declared a state of emergency to mitigate any potential spread of COVID-19 – Coronavirus.  This declaration not only gives me sweeping powers, but more importantly avails our city and schools to all federal and state relief and recovery assistance needed,”  Sarno said. “In abundance of caution and in the name of continued structural deep cleaning mitigation to protect our students, teachers, staff and their families, in order to stem and prevent any potential spread of the COVID-19 – coronavirus. I concur with Superintendent Dan Warwick and Health Commissioner Helen Caulton-Harris that this temporary move should be made in the name of public health and safety.  My administration continues to work very closely with Baystate Medical Center President and CEO Dr. Mark Keroack in containment of this situation.”

Superintendent of Schools Daniel Warwick said the decision was made "with a heavy heart" and the district is working to make sure the jobs of school department are not affected by the closing. Officials said the decision was made after new information was conveyed to the city. The community spread of the disease appears to be widening so the closing of the schools is a preventive effort.

“We have kept our schools open for as long as we believe has been possible, as recommended by state and local public health authorities. We know that in addition to education, schools provide vital support to our communities and that closure will have a major impact on our families," Warwick said. "We understand that extended school closure will create hardship for many families. Please know that we are doing our very best to make decisions that will help care for all of us through this time."

The district’s food service provider, Sodexo, will set up meal centers for the nearly 30,000 students at several locations during the closure. The meal centers will be located at Bowles, Commerce, Dorman, Glickman, Indian Orchard, Kensington, Liberty, Lincoln, Rebecca Johnson, Talmadge, Warner and Washington schools. They are open to all Springfield Public Schools students. Meals will be available at the front door for breakfast and lunch between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. to any person 18 years old or younger. Identification is not required. 

The last day of school will be June 19. School closures will not disrupt the high school seniors from earning their diplomas.

Springfield Education Association President Maureen Colgan Posner told teachers in a letter that they would receive regular pay and sick time would not be affected. She also indicated no vacations would be canceled. 

The Springfield Public Schools Central Office and Parent and Community Engagement (PACE) Center will remain open.

Helen Caulton-Harris, the commissioner of the city’s Department of Health and Human Services, said at the March 12 School Committee meeting that her department hears daily from state authorities many times with updates, which she then shares with Sarno. She noted she is sympathetic to the fear in the city and said just on March 12 alone her department received 50 phone calls from concerned residents.

The Springfield Public Libraries announced on March 13 that all programs would be cancelled starting March 14 at 9 a.m. until April 11 at 5 p.m. Community rooms will be closed to outside use during that time as well.

Sarno in consultation with Caulton–Harris and Director of Springfield Public Libraries and Director of Elder Affairs Sandy Federico announced March 13 that "due to the current state of emergency and in the abundance of caution the City of Springfield's senior centers and libraries will be temporarily closed until March 27.

Sarno said in a statement, "As our senior population has been identified as high risk and especially susceptible to this virus, Health Commissioner Helen Caulton-Harris, Library Director Molly Fogarty, Director of Elder Affairs Sandy Federico and myself have decided to temporary close our senior centers and public libraries as a precaution against COVID-19. Again, this action is in the abundance of caution and in order to stem and prevent any potential spread of the coronavirus. We do not take these decisions lightly and in the name of public health and safety we ask for everyone’s continued patience and understanding as we all work together to address this growing concern. The city will continue to monitor the situation for any new developments and we will reevaluate the situation at such time. We will get through this together."

Jill Keough, executive director for Greater Springfield Senior Services (GSSS), said the organization’s Meals on Wheels deliveries will continue regardless of any alterations to public schedules or closures. “We have emergency plans in place, we have to get meals out to people,” Keough said. She also stressed the organization’s Information and Referral line at GSSS will remain open even in the face or any potential work-from-home mandates in the future. “They are a wealth of knowledge. If folks have any questions about services [for elders] they will remain open, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., whether it is done here or remotely,” Keough said. “At this time we plan to welcome people in our doors and help people as much as possible. I would encourage people to give us a call and ask for a referral if they don’t know where to turn.”  Greater Springfield Senior Services is located at 66 Industrial Ave., #9, Springfield. Call 781-8800 and ask for the Referral Department for help with services.

Trinity Health Of New England will host a webinar, Coronavirus: What You Need to Know. The webinar will include a presentation from Trinity Health Of New England providers about COVID-19 and what you need to know. Following the presentation, there will be a question & answer session. The webinar will be held on the following dates:

• Monday, March 16 at 5 pm.
• Wednesday, March 18 at 5 pm.
• Thursday, March 19 at 5pm.

The webinar is open to public but registration is required at www.TrinityHealthOfNE.org.

SOMERS

Effective March 16, all schools will be closed for two weeks. According to Superintendent of Somers Public Schools Brian Czapla, it is possible the schools would be closed for an additional third week. He noted they would make that decision in the “near future” based on the situation in the state.

“I will be sending out more details of our plans, which will include a distance learning program by Monday,” Czapla said.

As of March 12, programs and services at the Somers Senior Center are scheduled to continue as usual, according to Transportation Coordinator Melinda Burnham. She noted that an upcoming book talk and a scheduled cooking demonstration have been canceled, but those changes were made on the part of the presenters, not the senior center. 

The Somers Public Library announced that effective March 13, the library would be closed until further notice. All programs have been canceled and all fines will be waived during the closure. While the physical services are suspended, the libary will continue to answer phone calls in response to requests for information at 860-763-3501 with any questions.

SOUTHWICK

Southwick-Tolland-Granville Regional School District Superintendent Jennifer Willard wrote a letter that stated, “In light of the Governor's announcement where all Massachusetts public schools are closed for the next three weeks, I want to let everyone know that we will do everything possible to keep you informed and updated on all things related to the educational, social, emotional, and overall wellness of our students. Schools will be closed until Tuesday, April 7, 2020.  

“Thank you for your patience and understanding. Together we will ensure that our students, our staff, and our community remain safe, healthy, and ready to return to school.”

Southwick Public Schools announced via their Facebook page that only essential personnel would report and their schedules were expected to be abbreviated. Visitors are restricted to Central Office and asked to call ahead at 569-5391 or email superintendent@stgrsd.org.

The district posted supplemental learning opportunities for students on its website.

On March 18, STGRSD commenced distribution of “grab and go”?meals for students in need. Meals are available weekdays from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Powder Mill School in Southwick and Gran-Val Scoop, 223 Granby Road, Granville. Families who plan to pick up meals must complete a form on the district’s website indicating how many meals and from what site the meals will be retrieved.

Willard was not immediately available for further comment.

Southwick Chief Administrative Officer Karl Stinehart said there were no plans to suspend or cancel public governmental meetings.

“Our meetings are sparsely attended anyway and make up small groups,” he said. “For the most part, we are working with our Board of Health, state and local partners for a balance of cleaning efforts and education.”

The Southwick Public Library will be closed alongside the schools with an anticipated reopening date of April 7. Staff will be on hand to answer the phones or email Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The public can call 569-1221 to request books, movies, magazines, and audiobooks. The staff will check them out for patrons who can meet them at the door. All patrons are advised to not leave items in the book drop and instead keep them until the library is open again.

WEST SPRINGFIELD

West Springfield Public Schools, in conjunction with other districts served by the Lower Pioneer Valley Educational Collaborative annoucned school closures on March 13. Some events, The overseas high school field trip to West Springfield’s sister city Dingle, Ireland, has also been canceled.

West Springfield Mayor William Reichelt intially cancelled and/or postponed events larger than 100 people through April 1. 

When attending smaller events, residents should practice social distancing by keeping physical distance between themselves and others. Reichelt said a six-foot distance was recommended for this. He also emphasized that residents should “continue to practice good hygiene” including frequent handwashing, sanitizing and cleaning of common areas. 

Schools were also taking precautions as Mittineague Elementary School in West Springfield was closed on March 10 after a substitute teacher’s daughter visited her from New York where her work had been closed due to a positive case of the virus. While both the teacher and her daughter were not exhibiting any symptoms, the school was closed for deep cleaning out of “an abundance of precaution.” Reichelt said in a separate video update via Facebook on March 10 that the town was not trying to alarm anyone, but instead “be proactive and responsible as the situation is very fluid.”

Reichelt announced on March 15 that starting on March 16 the West Springfield Town Hall, library and senior center would be closed until March 27. 

WESTFIELD

Effective Tuesday, March 17, Westfield City Hall is closed to the public until further notice. City business can continue to be conducted via telephone, postal mail, email, or online. See individual department pages for contact information. A dropbox is located outside of City Hall, 59 Court St., by the handicapped entrance for bills or other correspondence.

On March 13, school district announced they would be closed effective March 16, according to a representative of the Superintendent's Office, who added a robocall went out to the community that evening.

In response to the governor’s announcement, Westfield Public Schools announced the March 16 School Committee meeting would take place, but the number of attendees would be limited to 25.

In addition, the district indicated it would distribute educational activities and information to families. Some students received “Blizzard Bags” containing educational resources from school while can also be accessed on your school and district website. The district stressed the activities would not be graded and were for enrichment purposes.

“We received a directive from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to provide enrichment activities and were told those activities should not be graded,”?Westfield Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski said.

The WPS School Closure Plan website is available at https://sites.google.com/schoolsofwestfield.org/wps-school-closure-plan/

In addition, the district will provide students with lunch and breakfast for the following day at Abner Gibbs and Franklin Avenue elementary schools in a grab-and-go format from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. each day. Czaporowski also said the schools are working in partnership with the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Westfield to provide dinners to students.

Assessment testing such as the MCAS has been suspended and Czaporowski added he hoped there would ultimately be a waiver granted for this school year.

“We will have already missed the English language arts portion of the testing even if we go back when we are expected to,” he said.

There was a report of possible contact by a teacher in Westfield Intermediate School who might have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, however, the district indicated the school was disinfected.

“We have been regularly sanitizing the building after a rough flu season, and we took extra precautions,” Superintendent of Schools Stefan Czaporowski said. “We are taking this very seriously. The health and safety of our students and staff are a top priority for us.”

The Westfield Athenaeum will suspend all programming from March 16 to April 4. 

“All programs, whether internally or externally generated, will not be held so as to reduce the possibility of spreading this virus. Unfortunately, this means book clubs, storytimes, speakers, movies, knitting groups and Outreach Services will not occur for the next 3 weeks. We will assess the situation at the first of April to see if the threat is gone,” said Kate Deviny, director of the Westfield Athenaeum.

The Westfield Senior Center will be closed to the public from March 17 until further notice.

The Westfield Food Pantry announced changes to the way they distribute food in response to coronavirus concerns as well. Regular sign-in procedures were suspended to reduce the need for people to gather in large groups. In addition, the pantry is switching to pre-prepared food boxes, which will be brought out to clients waiting in the driveway. Those feeling unwell or illustrating signs of illness are encouraged to avoid visiting the pantry and should send a family member, friend, neighbor or other support to may pick up food on their behalf.

WILBRAHAM

Fire Chief Michael Andrews, who is heading up the emergency response for Wilbraham said the town has taken the step of closing the library and the senior center until at least April 1. The date services resume will be adjusted as needed.

Seniors with previously scheduled tax preparations and transportation appointments will be contacted by staff. Veterans will be contacted by veterans services about appointments. The Recreation Department has suspended programs, though the department is open. Resumption of programs will be reconsidered on March 16.

“At this point all meetings are still taking place,” Andrews said of municipal business.

Andrews described a response plan which includes screening of emergency calls to identify patients with flu-like symptoms. Procedures are in place to allow for a minimum of exposure for first responders, including a supply of personal protective equipment. He said the town is also coordinating with its four nursing homes to ensure their emergency protocols are aligned so that there is no delay in care.

Both the town and the senior center will be posting up-to-date information on their websites as it becomes available.

The Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District, in conjunction with other districts served by the Lower Pioneer Valley Educational Collaborative has decided to close schools from March 16 to March 27. They have also has postponed all field trips and school events until further notice. In addition, all community events that take place on school property, such as local youth sports, are postponed indefinitely.

According to a statement from Brian Easler, the head of Wilbraham & Monson Academy, the school has extended its spring vacation to end on March 29. The school will switch to a mandatory online distance learning method from March 30 to at least April 10. The situation will be reassessed at that time.

Until further notice, day students are not allowed on campus and boarding students must make plans to return home, unless extenuating circumstances are approved.

STATE INFORMATION

With Baker’s declaration, mass.gov updated their COVID-19 Guidance and Recommendations for numerous groups of people and professions, including schools, consumers, businesses, assisted living residents, hospitals, local boards of health and more.

Baker and HHS Secretary Marylou Sudders urged all Massachusetts schools including elementary and secondary schools and colleges and universities to cancel upcoming, organized international trips at this time.

The Guidance and Recommendations suggest that businesses/employers consider ways to reduce close contact at workplaces, such as making telecommuting options available for as many employees as possible, discouraging shaking hands, hugging, etc., encouraging good hygiene, urging employees to stay home when sick, being flexible with sick leave benefits for those who are ill or are high risk, and increasing routine environmental cleaning.

For more specific information by the state on their recommendations for groups such as pregnant women and children, consumers, financial institutions, housing authorities, congregate care programs, assisted living residences, in-home caregivers, community day programs, long term care facilities, emergency responders and law enforcement, and more, go to https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-guidance-and-recommendations.

Since his state of emergency declaration, Baker announced an emergency order modifying the state’s open meeting law. In his order suspending certain provisions of the open meeting law, he notes the use of using low-cost telephone, social media and other internet-based technologies currently available that will “permit the convening of a public body through virtual means and allow real-time public access to the activities of the public body,” and “implementing regulations issued by the attorney general currently authorize remove participation by members of a public body, subject to certain limitations.”

He then continues to note that should a municipal public body be facing economic hardship and is unable to provide alternative means of public access that would allow the public to follow the proceedings in real time, he suggests instead that the town post on its municipal website a “full and complete transcript, recording, or other comprehensive record of the proceedings as soon as practicable upon conclusion of the proceedings.”