City of Hayward announces responses to COVID-19 novel coronavirus

HAYWARD, Calif., March 12, 2020—The City of Hayward is cancelling all non-essential, non-governmental meetings and events on a rolling 30-day basis to limit exposure and slow the transmission of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus.

The measure is one of a series of steps taken Wednesday by City Manager Kelly McAdoo to protect the Hayward community and City workforce—including a declaration of a local emergency that allows for greater flexibility in the deployment of City employees, and acquisition of needed equipment, supplies and other resources.

Other steps include operational changes and partial closures of City facilities to limit person-to-person spread of the virus.  These changes include but may not be limited to: consolidation of in-person business transaction activity to glass-partitioned counters in the rotunda of City Hall; shifting of other non-essential services to telephone-only; and reduction of hours and access at the downtown and Weekes libraries.

The City Manager also is encouraging non-essential, non-public safety municipal workers, whose duties allow, to begin making arrangements with supervisors to temporarily work remotely from home, also for the next 30 days.  The goal of these arrangements is to continue to provide as many City services as possible while minimizing in-person contact.

All governmental meetings of the Hayward City Council and other boards, commissions and appointed bodies will continue to be held—with times, dates and locations published and shared on the City website, via email, and in other ways and means required and provided for under state law.

For more information on COVID-19, updates from the City and Alameda County Department of Public Health, and additional resources, go online to www.hayward-ca.gov/covid-19.