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A Concord police officer finishes a long double shift. The officer heads home but wakes up the next day feeling ill.

After contacting a physician, the officer is tested positive for coronavirus and is told to self-quarantine for two weeks. Not only is that officer quarantined, but every other officer that one came into contact with the day before is as well.

The next question: Is the Concord Police Department prepared if it loses that many officers for that amount of time?

“It’s something we’ve given thought to,” Chief Joseph O’Connor said of the hypothetical situation. “Certainly if we run into that situation first thing we are going to do is to talk to that officer and get the background information that they have. We would then confer with Susan Rask, the director of public health for any guidance on what we should do moving forward.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the probability of contracting coronavirus – or COVID-19 –- is still low in Massachusetts. Because of this, O’Connor said his officers are continuing to patrol the town as usual.

“We’re certainly conscious,” he said. “We have wipes and they’re told to wash their hands and do the precautions we do on a regular basis. We come in contact with a lot of people and we’re certainly taking time to wipe down our work areas, wipe down the cruisers when changing shifts.”

Should one of the 36 full-time officers test positive for the virus and multiple officers are self-quarantined, O’Connor said there are plans to make up for the loss of personnel.

“If it impacts staffing we’re certainly in a position to think that through and be able to provide services,” he said. “If there’s a possibility of a shift (being quarantined) we’d go with the guidance told by the Public Health (Department) on how to move forward. We could extend the shifts of our personnel. We have long-standing mutual aid agreements to accept assistance, and also to provide it to other local agencies if needed.”

Officers serving out of their jurisdiction are allowed to serve under state laws, O’Connor said.

On March 16, in a joint statement with the Fire Department, O'Connor announced the public will have limited access to their facilities until further notice in an effort to reduce the risk of a potential infectious exposure of someone who might be sick.

Non-emergency calls will be handled over the phone or through a speaker set up in the front vestibule for both departments.

If you have a business question you are asked to call 978-318-3400.

Anyone who calls either the Fire or Police department dispatch centers and is experiencing any flu-like symptoms should notify the dispatcher on the phone. Dispatchers have been instructed to ask questions of callers.

The medication and sharp drop-off program has been suspended until further notice.

Fire Department

If the Fire Department, which numbers 47 members, had to quarantine firefighters, or if some had to self-quarantine, firefighters would be asked to move around their shifts to make up for the lack of personnel.

“If we had somebody who was symptomatic we’d do the exact same thing (as the Police Department),” Chief Tom Judge said. “The bottom line is, just like the police, we have a robust mutual-aid system. Just like we would provide help to our neighbors if they needed it, we would get it from them as well.”

Judge said his firefighters are being more cautious these days when it comes to touching surfaces.

“Beyond that, our normal day-to-day, especially in the EMS world, is always using universal contact precautions,” Judge said. “It’s a little bit concerning, obviously, but it’s not outside their normal day. They take contact precautions with patients every single day.”

Town government

On March 16, drop boxes were installed outside of the Town House, 55 Church St., the Harvey Wheeler Community Center, and the 141 Keyes Road Planning and Land Management building for paying of bills and submission of paperwork. Residents area asked to email the departments if they have any questions.

During an emergency Select Board meeting on March 13, Town Manager Stephen Crane said all non-essential town employees are temporarily on paid administrative leave.

Because this is not a severe weather event, who is essential and who is not will be different, Crane said.

"It may change day to day, depending on the situation," he said. "When I say we are going to be reevaluating daily, we are going to be, every day, checking in with each other and finding out what we need to do differently."

Essential staff still is still expected to come to work and monitor the community's needs and services.

Crane said non-essential town services are suspended, and all town buildings will temporarily close.

The Select Board, Public School Committee and Joint School Committee will meet only for necessary business items. Regulatory boards and committees -- Board of Health, Planning Board and Zoning Board, for example -- will meet for time-sensative agenda items.

Crane suspended all non-regulatory meetings effective immediately unless there’s a pressing deadline, grant application or statutory mandate.

"No playbook for this," he said. "We’re trying to evaluate it."



Regarding Annual Town Election (March 31) and Annual Town Election (April 27), Crane said the town is looking for guidance from Gov. Baker and the legislature.

Residents are encouraged to utilize the online payment systems and to call rather than visit for information or questions.

The rabies vaccination clinic scheduled for Saturday, March 14, has been cancelled. The Children’s Center is closed for two weeks, as is Minuteman Park.

Public Health Director Susan Rask said there are no presumptive positive cases for coronavirus in Concord, nor is anyone under self quarantine.

Crane praised Rask, saying she's done an admirable job coordinating all of the information for the public.

The Council on Aging and Concord Free Public Library are closed until further notice. The town social worker and geriatric nurse will be available via phone. The number to reach the Social Services is 978-318-3034 or email bwilbur@concordma.gov. If you are age 60 or older, contact the Concord Council on Aging at 978-318-3020 to reach the geriatric nurse and other Senior Services staff.

Public, private schools

Gov. Charlie Baker announced on March 15 all public and private schools in the Commonwealth will be closed through April 6.

Also on March 15, Superintendent Laurie Hunter announced virtual curriculum activities will be provided for all preK to grade-12 students in Concord beginning March 16.

"The goal in assigning students thoughtful activities is to give some structure to their days at home and offer continuity and connection for their return to school, not to replicate the learning that happens in a school day," she wrote. "For students in preschool and elementary school, parents and guardians will receive a daily email with assignments or age-appropriate activities from their child’s classroom teacher. Students from Concord Middle School and Concord Carlisle High School will receive messages with assignments from the teacher of each class on the days when they would have had that class; these messages will mostly come through Google Classroom or email. Daily communication loops are suggested so that students continue to feel connected to their teachers and have productivity."

Hunter said teachers will prioritize skill-building, review critical concepts, and deepen the learning of previously covered content.

"We established guidance on the amount of school work calls for no more than 20 minutes per subject per day, and this can occur only on days classes would meet if we were in session," she wrote. "To simplify this effort, teachers will generally use materials and platforms familiar to students, and no formal assessments will be administered. At every level of schools, at least 30 minutes daily of reading for pleasure is recommended."

Families without access to technology and internet connections are asked to reach out to their building administrators or school guidance counselor, who can make the connection for you to community agencies that can fulfill these needs. Some of these agencies can also provide support for food, fuel, and other necessities.

"We thank you in advance for your flexibility and support as we navigate together these unchartered waters," she wrote. "Please contact me or the building administrators should any questions or concerns arise."

The following is now in place for public schools:

• Cancellation of all domestic trips for the remainder of the school year;

• No more than five make-up days regardless of the amount of time school is canceled;

• Removal of accountability relative to student attendance from March 1 and beyond.

On March 11, she announced the following:

All non-essential large group events are cancelled for the next two weeks. The School Department is working on virtual school day plans should there be a need for long-term cancellations. A draft of the plan was shared with the CTA and CCTA leadership on March 11. Should schools close, all employees will be paid as usual. "If you are in a high risk group and feel you should not be in school, you can let us know that and use sick time as long as you need," Hunter said in a statement. The principals and Hunter are going to review each field trip over the next two weeks to make decisions about whether the trip will proceed. Decisions will be made based on the venue and exposure to people and kids outside of our school community.

Custodial staff will be cleaning and disinfecting all schools during the closure.

"Closing our schools are only a part of the broader solution to prevent community spread of this virus," Hunter wrote. "If students and families continue to meet together in groups outside of school, this initial 6-day closure will not have the desired impact. It is critical that students and families refrain from meeting in large groups and practice social distancing as recommended by the CDC."

School offices will be open on Friday, March 13, in the event a family member needs to pick up materials. Contact the school office prior to coming to the school building to let officials know you are coming. Families are asked to not come if they are sick.

"We recognize that this is unprecedented and that this closure will be a significant burden for a number of our families," Hunter wrote. "Should you or your family need support during this period, please do not hesitate to reach out to me and the school administrators via email."

On March 13, Hunter announced 2-4 p.m., dry food and fruit is available to anyone in need at Concord-Carlisle Regional High School. Additional, food will also be available Monday through Friday next week from 8:30-11 a.m., also at CCHS.

At this time, there are no reports of Covid-19 cases on the Concord Academy campus.

Economy

Colonial Inn General Manager Andy Seidel said he’s seen a drop in new bookings for April and May.

“We’re not fielding calls about people coming with new travel plans,” he said. “People aren’t planning bridal showers or baby showers. Those aren’t really happening. But this far it could still stabilize. It’s understandable.”

Seidel said he’s up to a dozen calls from people checking on the Inn’s cancellation policy, but no one has canceled as of March 10. The normal policy is 72 hours for guest rooms.

“We’re going to be flexible as this develops,” he said. “When you decide to cancel, we’ll have an answer.”

Tourism

According to Public Information and Communications Manager Erin Stevens, the Public Ceremonies and Celebrations Committee has not canceled the annual Patriots Day parade.

“They said at this point they are playing it by ear because things are changing day to day,” Stevens said. “It's difficult to know what things will be like a month or more from now.”

Town Meeting

Select Board Chair Mike Lawson said during the Board's March 9 meeting electronic voting will not be used at Town Meeting next month.

Town Moderator Carmin Reiss has put together a Town Meeting public safety emergency protocol draft in case the virus becomes more widespread and having Town Meeting comes into question.

The Board will discuss the protocol at its March 23 meeting.

Emerson Hospital

On March 16, Emerson Hospital made changes to its visitor policy.

No visitors are allowed at Emerson Hospital, except for certain exceptions allowing one healthy visitor for the following patients:

Children under the age of 18; Maternity patients; Patients facing end of life.

"We understand this may be difficult and thank you for your understanding and cooperation during this time," a statement reads on its website.

A USA TODAY analysis shows that if the nation sees a major spike, there could be almost six seriously ill patients for every existing hospital bed.



That analysis, based on data from the American Hospital Association, U.S. Census, CDC and World Health Organization, is purposely conservative. For example, it assumes all beds will be empty. But because two-thirds of them are not, the reality could be far worse: about 17 people per open bed.

On March 13, Emerson Hospital said it's prepared for a spike in cases and in position to care for all patients and prevent the spread of the virus.

"You can rest assured that Emerson Hospital is fully-prepared to care for our community and is closely monitoring COVID-19," the hospital wrote on its website. "We have a strong emergency preparedness plan in place and our infection prevention team is working closely with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to ensure sure we are best positioned to care for all patients and prevent the spread of COVID-19."

In a statement sent to the Concord Journal, Emerson Hospital said its working with state, local and national partners, including the state's DPH, CDC, Partners HealthCare, local emergency responders, local skilled nursing facilities and the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association.

"Our Incident Command Team has been activated 24x7. With ongoing changes in guidance from state and national authorities, this teams stays on top of every update to keep all hospital departments informed of the latest policies to care for patients," the statement reads. "We currently have adequate supplies for all health care needs and continue to monitor the supply inventory on a regular basis. Our staff is strong and dedicated to providing the best care to patients. We continue to adjust our policies in response to COVID-19. This week, we implemented a new visitor policy limiting access to the hospital to protect our patients and staff, additionally, volunteer programs have been temporarily suspended from patient-care areas. Emerson events and large meetings have been postponed and staff business travel has been suspended. We continue to update our website at www.emersonhospital.org with the latest information. We remain prepared and well-equipped to serve the needs of the community as we have for the past 110 years."

Council on Aging

According to Director Ginger Quarles, the Council canceled a trip for Thursday, March 12, to Venus de Milo in Swansea. No other events have been canceled.

In terms of sanitation, Quarles said the Harvey Wheeler Center is being cleaned three times per day (door handles, stair rails, elevator buttons and other frequently touched areas.

The touch screen at the entrance which is used for attendance is sanitized every 30 minutes, while the Council's vans are being sanitized two to three times per day with wipes.

Numerous bottles of hand sanitizer are available throughout the building.

"Today at lunch, a staff member was offering a squirt to everyone who came to lunch," she said.

District Court

Jury Commissioner Pamela J. Wood has implemented a temporary three-month extension period for rescheduling jurors who have already exhausted their one-year scheduling period.

Jury pool officers (JPOs) are being advised to continue to follow existing procedures for dealing with jurors who, in their opinion, should not remain in the jury pool:

If the juror asks to leave, the JPO can postpone them (up to three months past the juror’s final available service date). If the juror wants credit for appearing, the JPO should seek assistance from a judge to conduct a brief judicial discretion (JUDDIS) hearing. The judge must sign the JUDDIS form, which must be submitted to the Office of Jury Commissioner. If a juror states they wish to stay and serve, or refuses to leave without credit for serving, the JPO should seek assistance from a judge, or get their chief to seek assistance from a judge. If possible, the juror should be removed from the jury pool room to await assistance.

In extreme cases, where the JPO feels the juror presents an immediate danger and no judge is available, the juror should be allowed/compelled to leave and the JPO should make a note in the record and contact the OJC.

On March 13, the Supreme Judicial Court announced the following persons will not be allowed to enter Massachusetts state courthouses or other state court facilities including, but not limited to, probation offices:

Persons who have been diagnosed with, or have had contact with anyone who has been diagnosed with, coronavirus; Persons with apparent symptoms of coronavirus, such as fever, severe cough, or shortness of breath; Persons who have been asked to self-quarantine by any doctor, hospital, board of health, or other medical provider, or health agency, or who reside with anyone who has been asked to self-quarantine; Persons who have traveled to the following countries within the last 14 days: China, Italy, Iran, Japan or South Korea.

The SJC also ordered new jury trials in the state to be postponed until at least April 21. The order says cases where a jury has already been selected will continue until a verdict.

The Massachusetts Department of Correction on March 13 said family and friend visits will not be allowed at any of the state’s 16 correctional facilities. Attorneys will still be able to visit their clients behind bars, officials said.

On March 16, court leaders announced they closed the trial courts to the public for Monday and Tuesday, March 16 and 17. Courts are contact members of juries now hearing cases. Anyone with pending matters should contact the Clerks Office when it opens on Wednesday, March 18.

Community outreach

The monthly Coffee with the Editor is postponed until further notice.

The new meet-and-greet program with the DPW and Police and Fire departments is also postponed, according to Assistant Fire Chief Walter Latta, Jr.

Places of Worship

Cardinal Patrick O’Malley established the following policies for the Archdiocese of Boston effective immediately: All Masses and religious services in all Archdiocesan parishes, missions, and campus ministries are suspended until further notice. That bagan on March 14. Baptism, Confirmations, weddings and funerals may proceed but attendance should be limited to only immediate family.

Trinity Episcopal Church in Concord suspended in-person worship services and all other church events and groups through April 7. Trinity Episcopal Church is now holding

"Worship at Home" online at www.trinityconcord.org and https://www.facebook.com/TrinityEpiscopalChurchConcordMa.

Entertainment

The following activities and special events are being postponed or canceled at The Umbrella:

March 13-19: Bent

March 14: Free Family Art Activity Day

March 17: Concord Film Project: Leave No Trace

March 18: The Powder & The Glory Women’s History Month Event

March 21: Waste Water Treatment Plant Tour

March 25: Little Women Celebration Event

April 1: Spring Classes

April 4: Drinking Water Treatment Plant Tour

April 4-5: The Umbrella Open Studios

April 11: Free Family Art Activity Day

April 5-11: Earth Month Workshops

Concord Orchestra canceled the March 27-28 concerts.

Athletics / Recreation



The MIAA announced the spring sports season has been delayed until April 27. The completion of the regular season and tournament games is slated for June 20 with consideration of June 21 for weather and facility needs.

Commuter rail

The MBTA announced reduced service on all lines. The new schedule can be viewed at https://www.mbta.com/schedules/commuter-rail.