Westfield City Hall
WESTFIELD – City Council President Brent B. Bean, II called together a meeting of city leaders at City Hall March 13 to discuss efforts being taken in Westfield to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Bean said Mayor Donald F. Humason Jr., state Rep. John C. Velis, Board of Health Director Joseph Rouse and his staff, District Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski, School Chief Financial Officer Ronald R. Rix, City Solicitor Susan Phillips, Police Chief Lawrence Valliere and his staff, Fire Chief Patrick Egloff and Personnel Director Dennis Miles were among those in attendance at the meeting.
Humason said he wants residents to know city leaders encourage residents to be prepared, but not to panic.
“Do not be afraid,” he urged residents. “Take precautions.”
Humason said as of Friday afternoon, municipal meetings would still go on as scheduled.
“It’s business as usual, but we’re following CDC guidelines for handwashing, keeping social distance if people want to do that, and other practices,” said Humason.
Humason said the 24 people around the table at City Hall Friday agreed this was unprecedented in their lifetimes.
“We have not been through this before,” he said. “Even with SARS and H1N1 there was no talk of canceling events or school.”
Humason noted that the precautions could not only slow the spread of COVID-19, but also the common cold and flu.
The city is planning to host a press conference early next week announcing plans going forward, once Humason has spoken to all the departments leaders.
At the meeting, Czaporowski announced that the district had made the decision earlier in the day to close the schools for two weeks beginning Monday, March 16 until Friday, March 27, at which time they will re-evaluate. He said the decision was made after speaking to the state and local Department of Health, the DESE Commissioner, Westfield School Committee Vice-Chair Timothy O’Connor and Mayor Humason.
Czaporowski said beginning on Monday the custodial staff will do a deep cleaning of all the schools. “They have all the supplies they need,” he said. Czaporowski also said there has not been a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the district.
The Central Office will remain open. Czaporowski said so many teachers and students were absent on March 13 due to day care and other issues from the region-wide closures, that it became impossible to go forward. He said DESE has waived the 180-days in school requirement for districts in the Commonwealth.
