Coronavirus: Bloomfield Cancels Senior Programs As Precaution

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — Bloomfield is temporarily canceling all of its senior programs in order to prevent exposure of vulnerable populations to the novel coronavirus known as COVID-19, town officials announced Tuesday.

The coronavirus outbreak has reportedly infected more than 800 and killed at least 28 people in the U.S. as of Tuesday afternoon. New Jersey has seen its first fatality related to the virus, a 69-year-old man from Bergen County.

State health officials have maintained that most New Jersey residents are at "very low risk" of contracting COVID-19.

There are not currently any confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Essex County, but the township is taking a proactive approach to protect residents, Bloomfield officials said.

As a result, the following senior citizen activities that have been canceled “until further notice,” Bloomfield officials said Tuesday: Senior Exercise, Qi Gong, Senior Stretch & Balance, Zumba Gold. Senior Citizen, Monthly Club Meetings, the Senior Citizen St Patrick’s Day Event on March 20, Non-Fiction Book Club, Cookbook Club, Monday Book Club, Romance Book Club Monday and Wednesday Movies, Bridge Club and the John and Abigail Adams program on March 28.

“Our most important job is keeping residents safe,” Mayor Michael Venezia said. “Though there are currently no cases of the coronavirus in Essex County, we believe it is important to take every precaution necessary to make sure that nobody in Bloomfield is exposed to possibly harmful contaminants.”

“We will continue to monitor what is going on and will update residents should there be any additional changes or information,” Venezia added. “In the meantime, everyone should regularly wash their hands and visit a doctor if they feel ill.”

Bloomfield officials are asking residents to take the following precautions:

• Wash your hands as often as possible with soap and water for a minimum of 20 seconds
• Cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze
• Avoid touching your eyes, ears and mouth
• Disinfect surfaces that you frequently are in contact with
• Do not leave your home when you are sick, except to get medical care

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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