By Max Bowen
max.bowen@northstarreporter.com
Town Hall has been busy of late, as officials takes steps to keep the public safe from the Coronavirus.
Town Manager Michael Borg said information on the Coronavirus [(COVID-19) has been changing often, in some cases on the hour. He said that the first step is to make sure people remain calm and informed. Handouts have been left at municipal buildings providing facts on the virus and how it can be transmitted. He has been in contact with department heads on establishing an Emergency Management Team and seeing how the different aspects of town government operate with reduced staff due to illness.
‘We’re staying in communication with the Department of Public Health, all the state agencies,” said Borg. “We’re maintaining those lines of communication.”
While no active cases have been reported, Borg said the town is monitoring six individual under self-quarantine, not because of exposure, but because of travel. Borg said these six check in frequently.
Borg said that planning has been done to keep those who work for the town healthy. Bottles of hand sanitizer have been delivered to the schools, library, and municipal buildings, and increased sanitization has been done. If staff are feeling ill, Borg said they are advised to stay at home until they have been fever-free for 24 hours. When asked about the supply of cleaning products, Borg said they have enough for now, and may switch to sanitizing sprays or bars of soap if needed.
“It’s a question of ‘if’ not ‘when’ this impacts us,” he said. “We’re working aggressively on a response plan.”
Recently, Plainville closed two of its schools when parents tested positive for the virus. Borg said no cases at the North Attleborough schools have been reported, and he would feel safe sending his own children there. Schools are being thoroughly cleaned three times a day.
“We’re going to act out of an abundance of safety and caution,” he said.
One issue has been providing the facts to people and avoid the misinformation that can result when people consult the wrong sources. Borg said a page has been posted to the town web site to give up-to-date information. The North Attleborough social media pages will be updated regularly.
“We’re going to make sure people have the most accurate information,” said Borg. “As soon as we know, we’ll let everyone else know.”
