Coronavirus: Wilmington-Tewksbury Chamber Holds "Takeout Blitz"

TEWKSBURY, MA — The Wilmington/Tewksbury Chamber of Commerce is hosting a "takeout blitz" to support local businesses affected by coronavirus. The Chamber will buy eight restaurant gift cards to award to participants. You can join by posting a photo of a purchase from a local restaurant on Facebook and tagging the chamber.

Restaurants that offer takeout and delivery are among the businesses that will remain open after Gov. Charlie Baker's stay-at-home advisory starts Tuesday.

"Post a photo of your takeout meals made with the spirit and hard work of any of our local restaurants, or the gift cards you purchased for future use," the Chamber said on Facebook. "Be creative, have fun, and be sure to tag Wilmington Tewksbury Chamber of Commerce on Facebook."

The chamber has a list of some restaurants open for takeout and delivery.

>>What Is Open, Closed During MA Stay-At-Home Advisory

The town of Tewksbury is also seeking to support local businesses through the shutdown. The town asked that businesses that provide pickup and/or drop-off service to send in information, Monday.

>>MA Stay-At-Home Advisory Issued, Nonessential Businesses To Close

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Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that include the common cold as well as much more serious diseases. The strain that emerged in China in late 2019, now called COVID-19, is related to others that have caused serious outbreaks in recent years, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the U.S. was on Jan. 21.

The disease, which apparently originated in animals, is now transferring from person to person, although the mechanism is not yet fully understood. Its symptoms include fever, coughing and shortness of breath, and many patients develop pneumonia. There is as yet no vaccine against COVID-19 it and no antiviral treatment.

According to the CDC, the best way of preventing the disease is to avoid close contact with people who are sick, to avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands, to wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and to use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol if soap and water are not available.

To avoid spreading any respiratory illness, the CDC recommends staying at home when you are sick, covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue and throwing the tissue in the trash, cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or [email protected].