Moorestown Looks To Dispel Halloween Cancelation Rumors

MOORESTOWN, NJ — Members of Moorestown Council are looking to dispel any rumors about Halloween. Council members want to make it clear that the popular holiday has not been canceled amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“I’ve heard some rumors emerge that Halloween is canceled, and I just want people to know that is not the case,” Councilwoman Victoria Napolitano said during Monday night’s meeting at town hall. “I just want people to know what the plan is.”

“I’ve heard those rumors too,” Mayor Nicole Gillespie said.

During a news conference last week, Gov. Phil Murphy said Halloween should proceed as planned in New Jersey amid the coronavirus crisis, but there will be protocols in place to protect against a possible outbreak.

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

"Obviously it's not going to be a normal Halloween, so we're going to have to do things very carefully," Murphy said at the time.

Murphy said protocols will be in place, such as mask-wearing and social distancing, but the state has not released anything yet.

In 2012, Gov. Chris Christie postponed Halloween following Superstorm Sandy. However, it's possible that New Jersey's 500-plus towns may be able to set their own rules for Halloween, as long as they follow the state's protocols. Read more here: Gov. Murphy: Halloween In NJ Can Proceed Amid Coronavirus Crisis

Following the news conference, Township Manager Tom Merchel told Patch, “there has been no discussion on this matter. I would think that should any discussion be needed it would occur closer to the date and following any state guidance.”

Gillespie said council could put together a statement on the issue for the next meeting.

Monday night's discussion came as a report showing Burlington County has moved back to "moderate risk for the coronavirus." Burlington County's coronavirus activity level rose from "low" to "moderate" over the past week, according to the New Jersey Department of Health's "COVID-19 Activity Level Report."

The report divides New Jersey into six regions, with Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and Salem counties make up the Southwest Region.

The region has the highest percentage of positive cases in the state: 3.27, about 50 percent higher than the statewide rate. The positivity rate also rose 21 percent in this region.

In addition to these four counties, there was also a rise in Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean counties. Read more here: 7 NJ Counties Backslide In Coronavirus Crisis: Here's Where

As of Monday, there were 7,101 cases with 467 confirmed deaths and 49 probable deaths in Burlington County. There were 443 cases and 63 confirmed deaths in Moorestown.

Burlington County is actively engaged in contact tracing positive coronavirus cases. The focus is on close contacts, defined as closer than 6 feet for more than 10 minutes, household contacts and those that work in high risk settings such as healthcare workers and long term care facilities.

If community exposure has occurred, where a coronavirus positive person was in close contact with people for an extended period of time, while symptomatic, county officials will notify the public. Since residents are abiding by the social distancing requirements, officials said they have not run into that issue since early in the pandemic.

Reminder: Mass exposure, due to social distancing guidelines, and the cooperation of the public has been minimized. Residents are reminded to remain 6 feet apart while obtaining essential items or services, and stay home unless absolutely necessary.

With reporting by Tom Davis

See related: NJ Coronavirus, Reopen Updates: Here's What You Need To Know