Newark Sees First Case Of Coronavirus: Schools, Library To Close

NEWARK, NJ — “What is happening all over the country unfortunately is happening here in New Jersey. Now it has hit home in the city of Newark.”

These were the words from Newark Mayor Ras Baraka at a press conference on Sunday, during which officials announced that the city has seen its first confirmed case of the new coronavirus known as COVID-19.

Watch the full video announcement.

Sunday’s press conference comes on the heels of the Newark Public School District’s announcement that, “out an abundance of caution,” it will be closing its schools and central office starting on Monday, March 16.

Officials tentatively expect to reopen schools on Monday, March 30.

Baraka stressed that it will not be an “impromptu vacation” for students.

“While the Newark Public Schools are taking precautions in regard to the spread of the Coronavirus by closing schools for the next couple of weeks, we strongly expect for our children to be supervised and indoors, focusing on their school work during this time,” Baraka said Saturday.

“This is not an impromptu vacation,” the mayor said. “This is an opportunity for our city to take an international health emergency seriously and to help protect our city.”

NEWARK CLOSINGS

Newark officials will be closing City Hall and other major buildings in the city for coronavirus-related cleaning on Monday, March 16.

Residents can access services via website, e-mail or by phone. The non-emergency call center at (973) 733-4311 will be operational. Alternate numbers are (973) 877-9292 and (973) 877-9336.

Police, fire, and uniformed agencies unaffected and will continue to function, city officials said.

The city will postpone board and commission meetings until the following week. The Municipal Council will meet at its regular meeting.

Public Safety, Public Works, Engineering, and Water/Sewer Utilities will continue to operate via their standard procedures for continuity of operations, officials said.

All locations of the Newark Public Library will be closed to the public as of Monday, March 16 and will remain closed through Saturday, March 28.

CORONAVIRUS IN NEW JERSEY

The number of people with the coronavirus in New Jersey had risen to 69 as of Saturday. Authorities said two people have died. Read more: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

Gov. Phil Murphy has declared a state of emergency, schools across the state have begun to cancel classes, and local governments and community organizations have launched their own efforts to protect residents from the virus.

In general — depending on where they live — New Jersey residents still face a “low risk” of contracting COVID-19, State Epidemiologist Christina Tan said during a Wednesday press conference.

There have been more than 2,900 confirmed U.S. cases of the new coronavirus as of Sunday morning according to Johns Hopkins University, which says the disease also has killed 57 people nationwide.

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WHAT IS COVID-19?

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.

The CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a face mask to protect themselves from respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19. You should only wear a mask if a health care professional recommends it. A face mask should be used by people who have COVID-19 and are showing symptoms. This is to protect others from the risk of getting infected. The use of face masks also is crucial for health workers and other people who are taking care of someone infected with COVID-19 in close settings (at home or in a health care facility).

Residents who have questions about the virus can contact the State of New Jersey's hotline at 1 (800) 222-1222. The hotline is home of the New Jersey Poison Information and Education System, and is staffed 24 hours a day by state health workers.

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