GEORGETOWN — Town Administrator Michael Farrell reports that the Town of Georgetown is expanding its closures and cancellations to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) to include all Georgetown buildings and facilities.

At this time, there are no known positive or presumptive positive cases of COVID-19 in Georgetown.

“We have made the decision to close the Town’s facilities after significant consideration, in an effort to do what is best for the health and well-being of our entire community,” Town Administrator Farrell said. “I’d like to thank our residents, as well as the Town’s staff, for your continued patience, understanding and cooperation through this complex, evolving situation. We will continue to provide updates regularly as new information becomes available.”

Effective today, Friday, March 20, the Town of Georgetown is closing all its facilities to the public, including parks, playgrounds, American Legion Park, the East Main Street recreation facility, Camp Denison, Harry Murch Park, the West Main Street fields and all Georgetown Public Schools playgrounds and fields.

All municipal buildings will remain closed to the public until further notice, though essential staff will continue to work in the Town of Georgetown. Residents should plan to conduct their business with the town either by email or over the phone. Visit the Town’s website at www.georgetownma.gov.

Earlier this week Town leadership also announced the closure of Town Hall, Georgetown Peabody Library and Council on Aging facilities until at least Monday, April 6.

The Town of Georgetown encourages residents to practice social distancing, and the town is urging private organizations to consider cancelling or rescheduling events that would gather large numbers of people or result in groups of people being in close proximity.

Local, state and federal health officials are encouraging residents to take the following precautions to prevent infectious diseases, such as the flu and COVID-19, from spreading:

• Washing hands with soap and water, scrubbing hands for at least 20 seconds before rinsing or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains 60%-95% alcohol.
• Frequently clean commonly touched surfaces, including phones, tablets, keyboards, doorknobs, light switches, faucet handles, toilet flushers, countertops.
• Avoid sharing personal items such as ChapStick, water bottles, eating utensils, etc.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve when coughing or sneezing and then wash hands.
• Community members should stay home and avoid contact with others when
  experiencing flu-like symptoms including a fever of 100.4 and should remain home until symptom-free and/or fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication.

Governor Charlie Baker’s office also issued an order today making a change to the inspection statutes that require a smoke and carbon dioxide alarm inspection prior to a residential real estate transaction. The Order would permit the inspection to be deferred if the buyer contractually assumes responsibility for installing the detectors and the subsequent inspection happens within 90 days of the conclusion of the COVID-19 emergency.

The state has also set up the phone number 211 to answer questions that residents may have concerning COVID-19.

For more information, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) website here or the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s (DPH) website here.

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