Gov. Murphy Praises Chatham Borough's COVID Ambassador Program

CHATHAM, NJ — Gov. Phil Murphy gave Chatham Borough a shoutout for its COVID Ambassador Program. Volunteer ambassadors have worked to remind people to mask up and social distance while also distributing masks to those who don't have one.

Borough officials and Chatham police launched the program in November. Ambassadors walk throughout the town but mainly in high-traffic areas, such as the downtown and in front of schools.

"Across the central business district, and it's a magical town by the way, the borough has also stenciled visual reminders on the sidewalk for us all to do our part and that wearing your mask shows that you care about your community and those in it," Murphy said in Wednesday's state coronavirus briefing.

State officials believe Chatham Borough was the first to implement such a program at the municipal level. But they also recognized Cape May County for starting a similar county-wide initiative.

New Jersey Coronavirus Updates: Don't miss local and statewide announcements about coronavirus precautions. Sign up for Patch alerts and daily newsletters.

The Jersey Shore county put volunteer "social distance ambassadors" in high-traffic areas, such as boardwalks throughout the busy summer. Read more: 'Social Distance Ambassadors' Coming To Cape May County

Murphy gave a special shoutout to Chatham Borough Mayor Thad Kobylarz and Police Chief Brian Gibbons for implementing the initiative.

Borough officials reported 26 new coronavirus cases from Nov. 29 to Dec. 3 — the borough's most recent coronavirus update. That brought the borough to 176 cases and nine deaths since the pandemic began.

Chatham Township Mayor Michael Kelly reported 15 new cases and one death Wednesday, bringing the township to 225 total cases and 34 deaths.

Thanks for reading. Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site. Have a news tip you'd like to share? Or maybe you have a press release you would like to submit or a correction you'd like to request? Send an email to josh.bakan@patch.com.

Subscribe to your local Patch newsletter. You can also have them delivered to your phone screen by downloading, or by visiting the Google Play store. You can also follow the Chatham Patch Facebook page.