Coronavirus: North Kingstown To Close Senior Center Operations

NORTH KINGSTOWN, RI — North Kingstown town officials said on Thursday that North Kingstown Senior Center operations will be shut down as of 1 p.m. on Friday. A tentative reopening has been scheduled for March 30.

All programs offered by the Senior Center will not be available with the exception of the Grocery Shopping Program, which will continue each Tuesday and Thursday with the number of participants being limited to 10 or less. A second bus will be provided for days where more than 10 people have signed up.

Town officials said the decision was made in conjunction Gov. Gina Raimondo's recommendations in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

All staff will continue to report to the Senior Center at this time and this "operations closing" does not affect evening meetings being held at this location at this time. Meals on Wheels delivery will continue subject to any future operational decisions by Meals on Wheels.

No tickets can be sold for Thursday's Open State Tournament Sweet 16 basketball tournament. Spectators will be prohibited with only players, coaches and essential game personnel allowed to attend. Games will be livestreamed on the NFHS Network. A subscription is required, however you can purchase a one-month subscription for only $10.99, which would include future games if the teams advance.

(More on the coronavirus can be found in this fact sheet from the CDC.)

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 other that have caused serious outbreaks in recent years, including severe acute respiratory syndromes (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% 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.

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