Mayor Holaday's CodeRed Recorded Message 4/15/20
Mayor Holaday's CodeRed Recorded Message
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Text of recorded message:
Hello. This is Mayor Donna Holaday with a very important message.
This is a critical time for our community and our nation as a whole as we face a surge in the number of Coronavirus cases. We must all do our part to help limit the spread of this virus to reduce the risk of our first responders and health care workers as well as save lives.
I urge every Newburyport resident to please comply with all the COVID-19 Federal and State guidelines. Stay inside, and only leave your home for essential errands such as buying groceries and picking up medications, or for exercise and fresh air.
Our Board of Health has issued additional emergency orders locally to help reduce the effects of the surge. Gatherings of any size in public are now restricted. In addition, residents and employees are required to wear masks in essential businesses establishments that are open to the public.
As a reminder, playgrounds and athletic fields remain closed. Do not try to move barriers or caution tape to access them. I would like to keep our Rail Trail and other parks and open space open, but I will be forced to ticket and fine residents or close them to the public entirely if residents do not strictly adhere to social distancing guidelines.
Access to Plum Island beaches is restricted to residents only. We had a significant breach in the dune system at 75th St and 71st St that caused significant flooding in the Reservation Terrace neighborhood. We are working hard with the state and our legislators to find a solution to protect residents in the Reservation Terrace neighborhood. In the meantime, please stay away from 75th and 71st St and please keep off our fragile dune system.
Finally, wash your hands frequently. Use hand sanitizer if soap and water is not available, and keep all surfaces clean and sanitized. It is critical that we all adhere to these guidelines, especially during these next few weeks.
Every decision each of us makes will have an impact. Keeping our health care workers, first responders, and all residents safe is our most important job. 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.
We will get through this together but only if we stay away from each other right now.