WARWICK – Mayor Joseph Solomon on Friday declared a state of emergency for the city to “proactively and effectively address the threats presented by the COVID-19 virus.”
The status takes effect immediately and activates the city’s emergency operations plan.
New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell did the same and said all nonessential, public community events greater than 100 people will be postponed or canceled, including his state of the city address.
Solomon said with an international airport, train station and numerous hotels, the city serves as a gateway to the state for travelers. Warwick is Rhode Island’s third-largest city.
“In talking about methods to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the best strategy is containment,” he said. “It is time to practice what we preach in response to this looming pandemic.”
Under the state of emergency, all public board and commission meetings are canceled. The city will remain open, but departments will make adjustments in accordance with the emergency order.
The city has canceled all programs in the senior centers, but boxed meals are available for seniors to pick up. The city’s Transwick Transportation is available to transport boxed lunches to homebound senior citizens.
The McDermott Aquatic Center is closed, as are the Thayer and Warburton ice arenas.
No presumptive or positive cases of the coronavirus have been diagnosed in Warwick, the mayor said. “This declaration is an attempt to mitigate and prevent future cases of the virus.”
New Bedford’s Mitchell said the state of emergency allows the city to expedite the procurement of goods and services, New Bedford noted.
The city also said that all senior centers in New Bedford will be closed until further notice. The city is closing the adult day facility in Brooklawn Park.
Mary MacDonald is a staff writer for the PBN. Contact her at macdonald@pbn.com.
