EASTHAMPTON – Municipal buildings in Easthampton will remain closed for the remainder of 2020.

On Aug. 27, Mayor Nicole LaChapelle made the announcement that the order that shuttered city-owned buildings from the public would be extended until at least Dec. 31.

The closures first took place on March 16 as part of the measures enacted after the city’s March 13 State of Emergency declaration in response to the coronavirus pandemic. City Hall, the Council on Aging, Public Schools and all other public buildings were closed with an initial tentative reopening date of Sept. 1.

LaChapelle told Reminder Publishing she extended the order as she believed she did not have enough information to open public buildings without creating another public health risk. She said there was growing evidence that air circulation and water systems may exacerbate the spread of the virus.

Core municipal services will remain uninterrupted and in-person meetings with city departments in tents outside the municipal building at 50 Payson Ave. are still available by appointment.

The lobby at the Public Safety Complex will continue to be open to the public, but access to community meeting rooms as well as drug drop-offs and firearm license processing remain suspended. Those wishing to speak to dispatch must utilize the lobby phone and a sharps disposal container was relocated to the lobby as well.

Easthampton Public Schools are currently slated to begin a phased reopening plan that includes reintroducing high-needs populations on Oct. 13 and hybrid learning for the entire school population on Nov. 4. The transition from one phase to another is contingent upon periodic health assessments, the first of which is scheduled for Sept. 22.

LaChapelle said if the school department is able to acquire a remediate air filter for its buildings and institute testing, she considered it acceptable to reopen schools if they were deemed safe. She said it was her hope to operate schools in a similar manner to that of City Hall in which some employees may work in the building in low numbers to keep the potential for spread lower.