Mayor Holaday's COVID 19 Update Speech 3/26/2020
COVID-19 UPDATE
Mayor Donna D. Holaday
March 26, 2020
Facebook Live video recording of the speech can be viewed with this link.
Good afternoon. Today I want to provide an update on the steps the city has taken locally to protect the health, safety, and well-being of our residents.
I also want to reiterate what this crisis demands of each and every one of us, individually and together, as we move forward to keep our people healthy and safe. We are not powerless, and we are not alone.
There are currently three confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 in Newburyport. All three individuals who have tested positive, as well as their families, are currently in quarantine. There is no question according to all public health reports that we can continue to expect numbers to increase across the state and within our community.
I’d like to take a moment and describe how the City works with the state to track, investigate, and manage COVID-19 cases within our community. The state maintains a database of all testing and that is shared with local health departments. In the case of a Newburyport resident receiving positive test, our Health Department contacts the resident to conduct an investigation and determine who the resident may have been in contact with after being exposed to the virus. Regardless of whether they live in Newburyport or another community, those determined to have been in contact will be ordered by their local Health Department to quarantine and self-isolate for a 14 day period and monitored for symptoms. The Health Department remains in contact with all residents in quarantine throughout the 14 day period. I’d like to thank our Health Director Frank Giacolone and his staff for working so hard to track and investigate these cases. Their strict enforcement and monitoring of quarantines in our City helps minimize the exposure of this virus in our community.
Regardless of whether you’ve contracted the virus, if you or a family member is sick or not feeling well, follow all the guidance provided and voluntarily self-isolate, monitor your symptoms, and contact your doctor for professional guidance and treatment.
The three main symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, coughing and shortness of breath. This virus is highly contagious and over 10 times more deadly than the flu. In many cases a person can be afflicted with the disease and be asymptomatic and show only mild symptoms. It can spread quickly and unknowingly. Many will recover from the virus, but our older population and those with existing health conditions are highly susceptible to the disease and highly vulnerable. The virus can lead to additional complications such as respiratory issues that can be deadly.
Testing has recently become more accessible with quicker results, but many will not be able to be tested. This virus is highly contagious and those infected may exhibit mild or no symptoms. Although testing is ramping up, there is still not enough testing and we have seen how lethal this virus is to a large part of our population - COVID-19 is a serious public health issue and we need to all take this seriously and work together to eradicate it from our community.
It is critical that we all do our part for the public good and help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Hand washing is the best way to keep the virus away. Hand sanitizer is also effective if you’re unable to wash your hands. Hand washing and hand sanitizing should be done frequently and vigorously. Clean and disinfect all surfaces. Always cover your mouth when you cough and sneeze into a tissue or your elbow.
Continue social distancing. It is so important. In the past week residents have been witnessing others ignoring the closed signs and moving barriers to access playgrounds and athletic fields. They remain closed, and for good reason. Keeping your distance from others minimizes the chances of spreading droplets of this virus. Please don’t let up. We need to be resolute, and together we must all maintain our distance, limit the spread of the virus. As the numbers of cases continues to grow, it is critical that the 6 ft. distance is maintained. This has been a real concern on the Clipper City Rail Trail. I know it is extremely difficult to stay inside especially as the weather improves, but each and every one of us must follow social distancing. Please do not force us to close the rail trail because of lack of compliance.
I am asking all residents to immediately stop using reusable bags for your grocery shopping until further notice. The intention is to further protect supermarket and shop employees from potentially coming in contact with the virus, which could live on bags that haven’t been washed or sanitized. This is a temporary order, and supermarkets will continue to offer the option of using paper bags and cardboard boxes to help carry groceries. We are also working directly with supermarkets to implement the Governor’s newly released recommendations for operations. I spoke to a regional manager of Market Basket this morning and we expect to see significant improvements in compliance to protect consumers and workers.
Preventing its spread will help protect our older population and those most vulnerable to the deadly aspects of this virus, as well as prevent our health systems from becoming overwhelmed. We need to relieve the pressure on our health care system.
The City continues to administer executive orders locally. Over the past week the Governor has issued several additional orders and advisories under his COVID-19 Emergency Declaration. At noon on Tuesday March 24th, all businesses and organizations that do not provide “COVID-19 Essential Services” were ordered to close their physical workplaces and facilities to workers, customers and the public until April 7th. Businesses can find a guidance document on the state website that outlines essential businesses. The Department of Public Health also issued an advisory for all non-essential employees and those over the age of 70 to stay-at-home. Additional guidance is provided on the state website, but essentially we should only be leaving our homes to address essential needs and get some fresh air and exercise. If you do leave your home, avoid unnecessary contact with other individuals. Yesterday, Governor Baker extended the closure of the state's school buildings and non-emergency day care centers through the May 4th.
Superintendent Gallagher and the District Leadership team have been working diligently to increase supports and resources for teachers, students and families. With great passion and determination, our teacher and school department staff scrambled to set up on-line learning for the entire school district with almost no notice. Many of our teachers are educating students from home while at the same time taking care of their own children.
These recent actions, the closure of non-essential businesses, the stay-at-home advisory, and the extended closure of schools will further affect and burden our lives. But remember that we are all affected, and together we can all do our part to get through these tough times and whatever this virus brings.
Your local government continues to function under a State of Emergency. City Hall and city facilities remain closed to the public, including the library, Emma Andrews, Youth Services and senior community center, and all in-person public meetings and all gatherings in public buildings continue to be suspended.
Our public servants continue to serve our community in this difficult time. We have taken measures to minimize the risk of our employees. In addition to minimum staffing, we set up our office employees to continue working remotely. We are encouraging residents to utilize our online services but can accommodate urgent needs in person by appointment. We adjusted shift schedules to ensure that our critical infrastructure, including the Water Treatment Plant and Waste Water Treatment Plant, are adequately staffed with additional contingency plans. This allows greater flexibility for our employees, many of which are sharing in the care of children now at home or for elderly parents or relatives. Finally, our first responders continue to protect our residents and respond to all situations. Thank you to all my staff.
I would also like to thank all the workers across the city that continue to serve our community during these difficult times- postal workers, bank employees, restaurant workers, health care workers, pharmacies, trash collectors and others providing essential services.
In regards to trash collection, Mello for the safety of their workers will only pick up trash in bags in barrels. Recycling is loose but must be in the recycling barrel. No bulk items, extra bags or cardboard will be picked up. We have placed dumpsters at the former Emergency Management site, across from Nock/Molin for residents use for only extra bags of trash and recycling, especially cardboard. These dumpsters are available M-F from noon-3 and are monitored.
Today I was on a conference call with Senator Warren and Senator Markey with mayors and town managers to review the $2 trillion relief bill passed by the senate last night. These programs in conjunction with our state legislature bills will bring assistance to unemployed workers and businesses. We will organize these programs and links and post on the city and Chamber of Commerce websites.
As these relief programs are just becoming available, I am asking landlords to please show compassion at this time and work with your tenants on deferment and payment options.
Our Finance Team is working on adopting programs to assist in payment programs for property taxes and other bills.
We continue to post daily local updates and links to information on our urgent alert page, CityofNewburyport.com/covid-19update. You can sign up to receive email alerts whenever the page is updated. We are also actively using twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to disseminate information. Links to all are found on the City homepage. Finally, we have staff available to answer questions, you can call or email individual departments or call my office. We are dedicated to keeping everyone informed, to connect those who need help and those who want to help, and encourage all to be neighborly and work together to minimize coronavirus in our community.
We continue to monitor the situation and receive guidance from the state. We have an active line of communication with the Executive Office and are in constant contact with the Governor, Lt. Governor, and state agencies. As we take direction and coordinate with the state, we will make the best decisions possible, always keeping in mind our priority: the health, safety, and well-being of the citizens of Newburyport.
This week, we launched Newburyport Connected, a website for those who need help during this unprecedented time and for those who’d like to help. It contains information and resources on where to find meals and other support, and residents can sign up to be connected to those in need as well as our local nonprofits and social service providers. You may order food online from Our Neighbors Table and pick up your order on Thursdays at Nock/Molin from 10-noon. Thank you to all the businesses and individuals who have already done so much to help others. There may be many others who will suffer economically during this pandemic, so please visit the website, cityofnewburyport.com/connected, and reach out to a neighbor in need.
I have also been asked as your mayor to reach out to communicate a critical need. As COVID-19 continues to impact our communities, we need your help to ensure we have a sufficient blood supply to support patients in Massachusetts. The Red Cross ensures there is a safe process in place for donating blood. For those who are healthy, feeling well and eligible to give blood or platelets, we encourage you to make an appointment to donate blood. You can do so by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, or visit the website at RedCrossBlood.org to see where local blood drives are being conducted in our region. You can also call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
I encourage you all please to reach out and check on your neighbors and to help those in need. But the most important thing we all should be doing is strict adherence to social distancing. We can all potentially carry this virus with little to no symptoms and unknowingly spread it to others in close distance. Maintaining 6 feet from others at all times can prevent transmission. And we should maintain distance from others in all situations to ensure that we do not becomes vectors and spread COVID-19. This is not the time for parties, playdates, and get togethers. And of course stay indoors and self-isolate if you are not feeling well or showing systems. If we all do our part and exercise social distancing, we can limit the effects of this virus and return to normal life sooner.
Flattening the curve is what we’re trying to do, and we have the opportunity now to reduce the impact of this virus locally. Flattening the curve will put our first responders and health care workers at lesser risk, will relieve the burden on our healthcare system, and will save lives. Prevention through hygiene, social distancing, and quarantine when sick will flatten the curve and get us out of this situation sooner and back to normal. Please help do your part!
We are all affected by this pandemic, and we are all making sacrifices for the greater good, so we can all get back to normal. Our local businesses are so critical to the fabric of our community and our restaurants continue to operate through these tough times. Many have stepped up and provided free meals to our first responders, our health service providers, and those in need. Our local grocers are keeping their shelves stocked and their employees are playing a vital role in keeping our community nourished. Our health service workers and our first responders are on the front lines, leaving their own families at home to care for others and putting themselves in direct harm. Please take time to acknowledge all of their efforts to adjust our lives and to work together to minimize the damage from COVID-19.
Now is the time to focus what’s most important in our lives – your families, our friends, our neighbors, our community. Keep them in mind when making decisions. This crisis demands that each and every one of us do our part to minimize the spread of this disease, to avoid putting the vulnerable and susceptible at risk, and to prevent our healthcare services from becoming overburdened. We are all in this together, so we need to work together. We will get through this together.
Make sure you check in on your neighbors. Call or facetime them. Please consider supporting your local businesses and purchasing a gift card if you can, share it with someone who may need it.
Thank you, and stay safe.