Maplewood Mayor Says Town Is In New Coronavirus Stage

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — With coronavirus cases rising in New Jersey and in Essex County, Maplewood Mayor Frank McGehee sent out a letter Tuesday night with updated town numbers and a warning for residents.

"Almost eight months ago in March," McGehee wrote, "we declared a state of emergency in the Township of Maplewood. Eight weeks later on May 9, I communicated that we were [in] the reopening stage of our community ... [but] based on our recent numbers, we are moving back into a mitigation stage."

McGehee said he would provide further guidance soon based on the newly passed executive order from Gov. Phil Murphy, which restricts seating and hours for restaurants, bars, and lounges, and prohibits interstate indoor K-12 and youth sports.

"Our Township’s Office of Emergency Management team met this afternoon to assess the Governor’s latest Executive Order No. 194 (which includes new COVID-19 mitigation measures)," he said. "In the coming days, we will provide a comprehensive communication" regarding how businesses can follow the order.

Among other things, the order says restaurants and bars can't serve indoors between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. Outdoor dining can continue later.

McGehee said, "All activities have a certain level of risk but keeping your gatherings small in the coming weeks and especially this holiday season is key ... We cannot stress enough that all of our residents take every precaution against the virus." (See list of precautions below).

Current statistics

The mayor gave these case numbers for residents, by month:

• August: 17
• September: 16
• October: 44
• November to date (11/10): 45

There have been a total of 458 cases in total in town, McGehee said, with 314 recovered.

Recent numbers and fatalities

McGhee said that on Tuesday alone, nine new cases were reported and confirmed, ranging from a 1-year-old to an 82-year-old.

The day before, on Monday, 13 people were confirmed positive, ranging in age from 20 to 73, he said.

The city has had 27 fatalities among residents due to the virus, the last one in August. Other victims have included a local doctor. The first resident lost to the virus was a 44-year-old man in late March.

"Also, today Essex County reported 689 new cases," McGhee wrote on Tuesday, noting, "This is their highest daily number ever recorded."

In New Jersey, the daily death toll peaked at 460 residents lost in 24 hours on April 30. On Tuesday, the state reported another 21 residents lost.

Where to get tested

To get a test:

• Click on www.essexcovid.org to register for a test
• See Maplewood’s COVID-19 website: https://www.twp.maplewood.nj.us/covid19 for a list of testing locations.
• Here is a list of the various types of tests (saliva, swab, and more) and where to get them in Essex County.
• You can also speak with your doctor.

Resources

McGhee suggested these resources:

• Maplewood COVID-19 website: https://www.twp.maplewood.nj.us/covid19
• General COVID-19 Questions: 2-1-1 or 1-800-962-1253 (24/7)
• Public Health Division: (973) 762-8120
• For State aggregate data on hospitalizations, age, gender, and race: https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/ncov.shtml. click under “daily case summary updates.”
• https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/covid2019_dashboard.shtml Click the Demographics tab.

The mayor gave these tips from the Maplewood Public Health Division:

• Attempt to keep your gatherings to immediate household members and try to avoid travel or visiting those who are immunocompromised.
• If you are having any type of indoor gathering, we encourage people to wear face coverings. Unfortunately, many of our cases can be traced back to small indoor gatherings where masks were not worn.
• Keep your number of interactions as well as the number of people at a gathering low.
• Space out your interactions with different people.
• Do not go anywhere if you're sick, and do not dismiss it as a cold or allergies, especially if you are in a household where someone is actively quarantining due to exposure to a positive covid case. Most of our cases are among people who were in direct close contact with a positive case.
• If you have come in direct close contact with a positive case, PLEASE complete the 14-day quarantine, even if you tested negative and feel fine. Several new cases have shown symptoms later — Day 8 to 10 — of their quarantine/ potential incubation period.
• We cannot stress enough that all of our residents take every precaution against the virus

Read more about the new state rules and numbers here.

Here are more Maplewood coronavirus updates:

SCHOOLS

Maplewood's schools will remain remote until at least January. Find out why here.

LOCAL BUSINESS

• Restaurants reopened the week of June 15 for outdoor dining.
• Restaurants are allowed to serve indoors at 25 percent capacity.
• Starting this coming Thursday, indoor dining must end at 10 p.m. at all bars and restaurants, tables can be placed closer than 6 feet only if there are plexiglass barriers separating tables, and only take-out and delivery services are permitted after 10 p.m.

HOW TO GET HELP WITH HEAT, RENT, AND MORE

• During the State of Emergency in New Jersey, no tenant is permitted to be evicted from their home or apartment for the inability to pay rent. Talk to your local mayor's office if you are experiencing difficulties.
• The CARES act has made money available to help with rent in each city. More information is here.
• New Jersey residents can get help with heating and energy bills. Information is here.
• Various other avenues of relief and benefits have also been made available, including family leave for 12 weeks if you can't work due to your child's school or camp being closed, and changes to unemployment rules to help those who were at a job for a short time, or freelancing.
• Programs are being added constantly, so don't think you can't get help. Reach out to your local mayor's office to find out what kind of funds may be available to help you get through this time.

LONG-TERM CARE

• Recently, there were 159 long term care facilities with active outbreaks, the state Department of Health said this month. The state also announced that deaths at the facilities had more than doubled since May 1. The state has stopped updating the numbers at facilities without current outbreaks.
• New Jersey residents were already alarmed at the high number of residents who have passed away in nursing homes, rehabs, and similar facilities. The state announced plans in May to increase testing at some long term care facilities and to bring in the National Guard temporarily to help make changes.
• The state released death toll statistics late in spring for long-term care facilities like rehabs and nursing homes. See the list here.
• You can report problems with long term care facilities here, or if you suspect coronavirus related misconduct, here.
• Some New Jersey long-term care facilities reopened for limited visits, with precautions, in July.

Here are more statewide coronavirus resources:

• NJ COVID-19 Information Hub: https://covid19.nj.gov/
• General COVID-19 questions: 2-1-1
• NJ COVID-19 hotline: (800) 222-1222

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