Local officials announced Thursday they would close community centers and encouraged cancellation of upcoming St. Patrick’s Day events as concerns about the spread of the coronavirus grow.
The Greenwood Community Center will close for at least a week starting at 6 p.m. Friday, according to a news release. City officials will discuss March 27 whether to reopen it March 30, the news release said. The change is out of “an abundance of caution” after three positive cases of the virus, also known as COVID-19, were reported in Johnson County.
Greenwood also canceled an event permit for the St. Patrick’s Day Block Party scheduled for Saturday. The event would have closed Madison Avenue between Main and Pearl streets. City officials said event organizers and attendees are welcome to move forward with plans, but Madison Avenue will no longer be closed, according to the news release.
“Our top priority is the health and safety of this community and its citizens,” Greenwood mayor Mark Myers said in the news release.
“This is a fluid situation, and we will continue to monitor it closely, including guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization, along with state and county health departments. We understand the disappointment and inconvenience this may cause, but we believe the potential risks of inaction are too great to ignore.”
Franklin city officials decided to suspend all activities at the Active Adult Center until at least April 6, according to a letter from Franklin mayor Steve Barnett. They will decide then whether the city’s exposure risk warrants remaining closed for an extended period of time, the letter said.
Officials with both cities said they are increasing cleaning frequency, ordering extra supplies and encouraging proper hand-washing procedures.
