To the Watertown community:
I want to take this opportunity to give you a brief update with respect to the COVID-19 pandemic and how Watertown is managing our response to it.
The Town Manager and Administration along with myself and the Town Council are staying on top of all measures being put in place at the state level, in addition to those regulations we have put in place locally.
The Town Manager is meeting daily with the Director of Public Health, the Police and Fire Chiefs, and other Department heads to assess the effectiveness of recent state and local regulations, and to determine if other actions may be needed to best protect our community.
Communications from the Town Manager are available on the Town’s website and are updated frequently. Please visit https://www.watertown-ma.gov/ for the most up to date information. The Town Hall is staffed Monday-Friday hours to respond by phone or email to any issues or requests.
Please note the Town Hall remains closed to the public at this time. Please go to the Town’s website for more information on phone numbers and email addresses. I want to assure folks that the Town Councilors are being sent information regularly about all actions the Town is taking, and we are very well aware of the Administration’s efforts.
I also have the following important requests for everyone in our community:
It is essential that everyone follow all guidelines being put out by the CDC, state, and local officials including social distancing and restrictions on gathering in large crowds. These measures are extremely important as we work together to try to keep ourselves, our loved ones and our community healthy and minimize the impacts on all of our daily lives. Everyone could be at risk so please do your part.
Please do whatever you can to protect one of our most vulnerable populations, our seniors. If you know of any seniors in your neighborhood, or have friends that do, please check on them daily and see if there is anything they might need to get through this. I want to thank the local supermarkets for allowing seniors to have special hours for shopping for their needs. The Senior Center is closed, but staff from the Center are available to take calls and emails on any needs that may come up. You will find information on the Town’s website as well.
Please consider a monetary donation to the Food Pantry. The Food Pantry is in high demand at this time, and in order to try to adhere to the social distancing requirement, I would say that sending a check is an easy way to help them provide for the folks that need their services, which is now growing daily. The Food Pantry is located at 80 Mount Auburn Street. Checks made payable to Watertown Food Pantry can be sent to the Senior Center at 31 Marshall Street.
Please support our local food establishments that have been restricted to take out only. You can purchase food or buy gift cards that can be used at a later date. The people that own these establishments have been hurt by the current situation and anything we can do to help them through this is important. It can also give caregivers a break from having to prepare 3 meals a day.
Please don’t hesitate to contact myself or any Town Councilor if you can not find what you need, or don’t know where to go for information. We are all available to help you. Our phone numbers and email addresses are available on the Town’s website (https://www.watertown-ma.gov/).
Finally, thank you for everything you are doing to keep our community healthy. Together we will get through this extraordinary and very difficult time.
On behalf of the Town Council,
Mark Sideris
Town Council President