Cranford Closes Playgrounds To Slow Spread Of Coronavirus

CRANFORD, NJ — Following the lead of several other areas, the town of Cranford on Monday evening announced even more regulations to promote "social distancing" to slow the spread of coronavirus in town.

Among those measures, playgrounds will close. However parks and fields will stay open for now.

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A letter from Cranford Schools Superintendent Scott Rubin says:

<blockquote>

In partnership with the township, the district would like to notify parents/guardians, students, and community members that, during this evolving situation, parks and fields will remain open for their use. However, playgrounds are closed to discourage large groups of individuals.

We recommend you maintain the CDC guidance of “social distancing” which includes maintaining separation (about 6 feet) between folks and practice proper hand hygiene. It’s particularly important for our students to be reminded of this important point.

We understand that some of these measures may seem unprecedented, but they are being done solely for the safety and well-being of our students and their families.

In this same vein, please be on the lookout for a message from the district tomorrow on social-emotional resources for you and your children to assist in addressing needs you may be experiencing at this time.

Below is the most recent message from the Mayor and Township Committee regarding COVID-19 and its impact on our community. I have also provided a link where you can sign up for future Cranford Township Nixle alerts. http://nixle.us/BPGZS

We value your partnership and we will get through this together!</blockquote>

On Friday, the Westfield Regional Health Officer, Megan Avallone, explained why social distancing was necessary to slow the spread of the virus, so that hospitals are not overwhelmed at once.

Monday, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced that three people had died in the state so far due to the virus. Experts say that the novel coronavirus, because it's new, is more lethal and harder to treat than the flu.

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.

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