Eleven town officials in Norwood, Massachusetts, will quarantine themselves after coming in contact with a person who tested positive for the new coronavirus.
The town announced Friday night that the employees had attended an event at a private home where a resident who tested positive for COVID-19 also appeared. Out of caution, those town employees will quarantine themselves until at least March 16.
Norwood General Manager Tony Mazzucco was among the attendees, the town said. He will work remotely from his home.
"I am following the instructions of state and local public health officials and I want to thank the Norwood Health Department for their guidance on this matter," he said in a statement.
Mazzucco was tested Friday after developing cold-like symptoms, officials said.
There were a total of 30 people at the event. Norwood officials say all have been contacted by their local health departments. No one else besides Mazzucco has been named.
"Our town is well-equipped to adapt in the face of this challenge," Mazzucco said. "I am confident that we will be able to continue providing a high level of service to our residents even as some of us remain away from our desks next week."
Norwood Town Hall will remain open during business hours.
The number of Massachusetts COVID-19 cases associated with the outbreak, which began in Wuhan, China, has jumped up in Massachusetts in the last couple of days.
Several cases have been linked to a conference held in Boston by local biotech company Biogen. Top state health officials said Friday that Massachusetts has one confirmed case of the new coronavirus and seven presumptive cases, which are awaiting confirmation tests from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
