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COVID-19 Update: Mayor, Board of Health Declare State of Emergency

Posted on: March 18, 2020 - 12:07pm

Mayor Paul Brodeur has declared a state of emergency in the City of Melrose, and the Melrose Board of Health has declared a Public Health Emergency. Both declarations are effective immediately.

These declarations are intended to:  (1) highlight the severity of the impacts the COVID-19 pandemic is having in Melrose; (2) allow for the emergency use and deployment of municipal resources to assist impacted residents and businesses; and (3) ensure the City has taken all necessary steps to apply for any available federal and state emergency assistance in the future. 

“Our staff has prepared plans to work remotely,” Brodeur said. “We will have to suspend some resident services, but others will continue, and we are currently working on ways for people to participate in public meetings. I hope you will be patient with us as we move forward with this unprecedented transition.”

City Hall is closed to the public, but residents can contact City Hall departments by e-mail or phone. Staff who are not in the office will be checking phone messages and e-mails remotely. 

“I want to emphasize that these are precautionary measures designed to slow the spread of the virus,” said Brodeur. “We know two things about the COVID-19 virus: It is highly contagious, and it is very mild in some cases and very serious in others. The experts have told us that if we practice ‘social distancing,’ basically staying away from other people, we can slow it down and hopefully keep the number of infections down. So please, stay indoors, do your socializing online or from a distance, and be patient. This will pass, and the more we adhere to these guidelines, the sooner we will be back to normal.”

Here are the recommendations from Health Director Ruth Clay:

  • Senior citizens and people with ongoing health conditions should stay indoors and avoid contact with anyone not in their immediate household.
  • Everyone should stay 6 feet away from other people at all times.
  • If you have to go out, for work or other reasons, wash your hands frequently and thoroughly.
  • Cough or sneeze into a tissue or your elbow.       
  • Frequently wipe down doorknobs, refrigerator and microwave doors, and other “high-touch” hard surfaces with disinfecting wipes or a paper towel and disinfectant cleaner.
  • Don’t go to work, if at all possible.

And a note from the DPW department: Please do not flush wipes! Despite what the label may say, they are not flushable.

Trash and recycling pickup will continue on its regular schedule. The Police and Fire Departments will also continue their regular functions. If you call 911, you will be asked some screening questions about whether anyone in your household is ill. This will not slow the response, but it will allow first responders to take the appropriate precautions.

You can use the City of Melrose website www.cityofmelrose.org, to

  • Pay bills, including tax bills, license fees, and parking tickets, online 
  • Bills can also be paid by mail or dropped in the gray box in the alley between City Hall and the Post Office
  • Make a direct request to DPW about an issue or check their calendar
  • Register to vote 
  • Contact city departments directly by the contact form on each department’s page

Here are the phone numbers of City departments:

Treasurer/Collector 781-979-4120
Updates on tax bills and payments

City Clerk 781-979-4114
Birth and death certificates. This office will provide limited service during the state of emergency.

Department of Public Works 781-665-0142
Trash and recycling pickup will be on regular schedules.
City Yard is closed to the public.

Health Department 781-979-4130
All questions about COVID-19 should be directed to this department.

Inspectional Services 781-979-4135
Inspectors will be available for emergency inspections only.

Veterans Services 781-979-4186