Effective March 17, the town of Lysander has declared a state of emergency through March 31 due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The March 19 meeting of the Lysander Town Board has been canceled.

Town Hall is closed to the public through March 31, but residents can call 315-638-4264 for assistance. Tax payments must be postmarked on or before March 31, 2020, to avoid penalties.

Lysander is posting updates about the COVID-19 crisis from Onondaga County and New York state on the town website, townoflysander.org.

“There’s no need to panic right now,” Town Supervisor Bob Wicks said March 12.

Among the resources available on the town’s website is a list of “simple steps help stop the spread of COVID-19 and other virus” and a five-step guide to creating a contingency plan in the case of work and school closings.

“We’re reviewing our emergency management procedures and we’re following the lead of the county and the state right now,” Wicks said.

As of March 18, New York state had a total of 2,382 cases of COVID-19. Syracuse University and the SUNY system are implementing online learning for the rest of the semester to reduce the risk of spreading the virus.

Accurate and up-to-date information is available from the New York State Health Department at health.ny.gov/coronavirus or its hotline at 1-888-364-3065, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at cdc.gov/COVID19.