Mayor Ganim announces that on Monday, March 16, 2020, all City of Bridgeport government buildings will be closed and nonessential services will be suspended with offices and buildings closed until further notice. This closure excludes police and fire services, 911 dispatch, as well as sanitation and recycling pick up. This announcement is out of an abundance of caution to minimize social distancing in an effort to protect staff and residents from the contraction of COVID-19.

Rowena White, city spokesperson said this will be treated similarly to a Snow Emergency Day, so it is paid time off.

The Mayor’s office will operate as usual but with minimal staffing and employees telecommuting, working from home. Police, Fire, Emergency Management, and other public safety and essential services will remain operational.

Employees should expect an email from their department head as to their status for the rest of the week by close of business on Monday.

Further communications will be issued to employees and the public on the continuation of closings and reopenings as further information is received and decisions are made in the interest of public health and safety.

Members of the public are encouraged to call city offices with specific questions but in general are encouraged to be patient and utilize email. A complete list of All City Departments with staff email addresses are available at https://www.bridgeportct.gov/content/341307/default.aspx . Online Payments and continuing to do business with city agencies without interruption are also available online at Bridgeportct.gov.

The City and Mayor’s Office will continue to communicate and share updates as we receive information and make appropriate decisions in the interest of protecting employee welfare and the community. We encourage the public to follow our city social media on Facebook at @bridgeportct and @joeganim. The Office of Emergency Management also provides emergency alerts via text and encourages employees and residents to sign up here https://veoci.com/veoci/p/form/y9qpadaf4mq9#welcomePage