Burbank closes all city facilities, cancels meetings
Burbank officials announced Monday the city will be closing all city buildings, libraries and recreational facilities to the public until April 6 in an effort to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.
In addition, meetings of Burbank boards and commissions have been canceled until April 6.
On Tuesday, officials stated the city will be concurring with additional precautions mandated by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors in which all bars, clubs, theaters, fitness centers and entertainment centers are closed until further notice.
City spokeswoman Simone McFarland said in a statement the City Council’s agenda for March 17 has been stripped down to include just the consent calendar and an update to the public on the coronavirus.
As of noon Monday, there had been no reported cases of the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 in the city. The first case of the virus was confirmed in neighboring Glendale Monday morning by officials at USC Verdugo Hills Hospital.
The public can still attend the March 17 council meeting in person, however space will be limited to 50 people. The meeting will be livestreamed on Burbank’s website or on the city’s YouTube channel.
The council meeting scheduled for March 31 has been canceled.
The closures come after the decision made by Burbank officials on Thursday to cancel or reschedule several of its events.
Members of the public can call (818) 238-5564 for a prerecorded message with an update on the latest information regarding the issue.
Burbank Mayor Sharon Springer said on Monday the top priority of the city is to keep its residents and the public safe and to make it through the pandemic.
“There’s no reason to panic. We need to stay home and stay safe and only go out when we absolutely have to,” she said.
Springer added that Burbank residents need to “act like the community that it is” — to help one another, especially the elderly, during times of need.
“We need to help each other and help our neighbors,” the mayor said.
