Northampton Borough has canceled all council meetings for the month of April, which now makes three consecutive meetings that have been shelved since the COVID-19 pandemic erupted across the nation. Borough Manager LeRoy Brobst said there is no immediate plan to restart the council sessions, which were also canceled in March.

Brobst noted council members are kept abreast of official business on a daily basis via telephone or email.

He said the borough continues to have its office, public works and sewer plant employees work on a staggered basis. Bills are being paid, and payroll is being met, he added.

According to Brobst, the only outstanding piece of council business is to take action on approving police civil service examinations.

The proposed distribution of chocolate Easter bunnies to children in the parking lot of Northampton Recreation Center was recently canceled. That idea had been put in place when the borough canceled its annual egg hunt at Municipal Park. Instead, the 400 chocolate rabbits were given to Northampton Area Food Bank for distribution to its clients.

One of the town’s eight churches had considered holding its Easter Sunday service in the parking lot of the recreation center, with the people remaining in their cars. Before the borough could act upon the request, the unnamed church withdrew its request.

The borough has now decided to close its parks and playgrounds to the public due to COVID-19. This closure includes Fourth Street Playground, 26th Street Playground, Municipal Park, Canal Street Park, a small play lot behind Alliance Fire Company and the bicycle and skateboard park at Lerchenmiller Drive and Smith Lane. All restrooms in the parks are closed as well.

Tours of Atlas Cement Company Memorial Museum held in the spring for hundreds of Northampton Area Middle School students have been canceled because of the pandemic. Whether the museum will open in May will be decided in the next couple of weeks.

The museum is usually open annually from May through September. Ed Pany, museum curator, said the museum has some new exhibits.