03/13/2020- Chairman Smith's Guidance Regarding COVID-19

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
COVID-19

The Town of Erving is issuing the following guidance as of Friday, March 13, 2020 regarding the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19):

On Tuesday, March 10, 2020 Massachusetts Governor Charles Baker declared a State of Emergency for the Commonwealth (read here) and on Wednesday, March 11, 2020 the World Health Organization has declared that the spread of the COVID-19 virus is a pandemic.  As of 5:00 PM on March 13, 2020 Jacob Smith, Board of Selectmen Chairman, has declared a State of Emergency for the Town of Erving until further notice.  Please understand that this declaration is an administrative tool to provide the Town with further guidance to limit the spread of the virus as well as to allow the municipality to access state and federal resources.

Effective immediately, the following measures are in place until Monday, March 30, 2020.  Town officials will continue to monitor the situation and additional guidance will be issued on or before Friday, March 27, 2020.

  • All group programs and special events in all Town departments have been cancelled and/or will be postponed.  Please contact the respective departments for more information about specific programs. 
  • All Town of Erving public facilities are closed to the public and will be posted as such.  Employees will be reporting to work and will be available to assist members of the public via phone and/or email.  Departmental contact information is available online (https://www.erving-ma.gov/contacts-directory ).
  • Regular updates will be posted on the Town of Erving website (www.erving-ma.gov).  The Town Hall drop box will remain accessible to residents conducting business.
  • All non-essential Board & Commission meetings will be cancelled.  Governor Baker has issued guidance allowing for remote participation in public meetings during the state of emergency.  The Town is working on the implementation of these procedures and will be posting them on the Town website (www.erving-ma.gov). 
  • Residents, property owners, and business owners needing to pay bills are encouraged to do so online (https://www.erving-ma.gov/tax-collector/pages/online-bill-paying).

The following guidance for Town employees has been issued:

  • Employees that feel sick and/or are demonstrating flu-like symptoms are to notify their supervisors, via phone or email, and stay home.  Sick employees are not to report to work and are encouraged to contact their primary care physicians to seek further guidance.
  • All work-related travel for employees and/or participation in off-site meetings has been cancelled and staff will participate remotely if that option exists.

Please keep in mind that the guidance issued to date is based on the information that is currently available and in consultation with state, regional, and local officials.  As the situation evolves and information changes, the guidance issued by the Town may also evolve.  We encourage individuals to check the Town website (www.erving-ma.gov) for future updates.

For further questions or concerns regarding this directive, contact the Board of Selectmen’s office by emailing info@erving-ma.gov, or by calling (413) 422-2800.