NPCOVID19 12/05/20 Saturday Morning Update from Mayor Al Morgan:

 

Good Morning New Providence. As of late last night (Friday 12/4) we have 2 new Covid-19 child cases (both students) in our community reported to us from the Board of Health, and 7 new recoveries to report, bringing our total down to 22 non-LTC active cases and 1 LTC active case in New Providence.

Here is a breakdown of our current cases:

  • 2 New Child Cases:
    • 1 NPHS Student
    • NPMS Student
  • 7 Recoveries
  • 22 Active non-LTC Cases
  • 1 Active LTC Case

New Providence has had 109 positive COVID-19 cases since November 1st.  We will continue to keep you updated as we receive confirmed information.

We wish all a speedy recovery! Please keep our lost, afflicted, their families, all of our dedicated first responders, emergency management, medical personnel, and essential workers in your thoughts and prayers.

The most recent NPCOVID19 case statistics for the borough can be found on the borough website at: https://www.newprov.org/download/Board%20of%20Health/coronavirus_information/Coronavirus-Cases.pdf

GATHERINGS

This year will be a holiday season like no other, and we must continue to maintain our vigilance against COVID-19 and celebrate safely and responsibly to ensure everyone’s health and safety. Given the current surge in COVID-19 cases, travel outside of your home should be limited. Gatherings must comply with current indoor and outdoor limits, and indoor holiday gatherings should be limited to immediate household members if possible. New Jersey has issued the following gathering guidelines:

Attending a gathering, ceremony, or celebration is permitted as long as the event complies with the following limits on gatherings issued by the state of New Jersey. Different limits apply depending on the type of gathering, and where it is happening:

Indoor Gatherings:

  • General indoor gatherings must be limited to 10 people. All attendees at indoor gatherings must wear face coverings and stay six feet apart.
  • Indoor gatherings for weddings, funerals, or memorial services must be limited to 150 people or 25% of a room’s capacity — whichever number is lower.
  • Indoor gatherings for religious and political activities protected under the First Amendment must be limited to 150 people or 25% of a room’s capacity — whichever number is lower.
  • Indoor gatherings for entertainment centers where performances are viewed or given, including movie theaters, performing arts centers, and other concert venues, must be limited to 150 people or 25% of a room’s capacity — whichever number is lower.
  • Indoor meetings of addiction support groups, such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, must be limited to 150 people or 25% of a room’s capacity – whichever number is lower.
  • Legislative and judicial proceedings are not subject to the limits on indoor gatherings.

Outdoor Gatherings:

  • General outdoor gatherings must be limited to 150 people and social distancing must be practiced. Effective Monday, December 7th at 6 am, general outdoor gatherings must be limited to 25 people.
  • There is no limit for outdoor gatherings for wedding ceremonies, funerals, memorial services, religious activities, or political activities.

Note: Indoor receptions held separately from wedding ceremonies are currently capped at 10 people, while outdoor receptions held separately from wedding ceremonies are limited to 150 people under the current limits on gatherings.

To help save lives and stop the spread of COVID-19, wear a mask, wash your hands, practice social distancing, and stay home if you are sick.

Face coverings are required in indoor public spaces and in outdoor public spaces when social distancing is difficult to maintain.

For more information please visit https://covid19.nj.gov/faqs/nj-information/reopening-guidance-and-restrictions/how-can-people-safely-get-together-what-are-the-limits-for-indoor-and-outdoor-gatherings

SAFETY TIPS FOR GATHERINGS

During this difficult time, we understand everyone wants to be with family and friends. But being cautious when you interact with others is particularly important as New Jersey is seeing increasing signs of community spread. To ensure we do not inadvertently spread COVID-19 and needlessly put our loved ones at risk, the NJ Department of Health has offered these safety tips for in-person gatherings:

  • Indoor gatherings pose more risk than outdoor gatherings. Host outdoor activities rather than indoor activities as much as possible.
  • Ask guests to wear face coverings when they cannot social distance.
  • Make hand sanitizer available for guests.
  • Gatherings that last longer pose more risk than shorter gatherings.
  • Gatherings with more people pose more risk than gatherings with fewer people. Limit numbers of attendees as much as possible.
  • When hosting activities, do so with people only from your local area as much as possible.

Activities with attendees traveling from different locations increase the risk of infection and spread, especially if they are coming from or traveling to a location with higher levels of COVID-19 cases and community spread.

  • Remind invited guests to stay home if they have been exposed to the virus in the last 14 days, are showing COVID-19 symptoms, or recently travelled to an area or a state with high COVID-19 infection rates.
  • Limit the number of people handling or serving food—for example, consider identifying one person to serve all food so that multiple people are not handling the serving utensils.
  • Remind guests to wash their hands before serving or eating food.
  • Use single-use hand towels or paper towels for drying hands so guests do not share a towel.
  • Clean and disinfect commonly touched surfaces and any shared items between use when feasible.
  • Consider keeping a list of guests who attended for potential future contract tracing needs. If you are called by a contact tracer, it’s critical that you answer the call to protect us all. Your help is the key to stopping the spread of COVID-19 and saving lives.

For more information please visit https://covid19.nj.gov/faqs/nj-information/slowing-the-spread/how-can-i-safely-celebrate-the-holiday-season

The only definitive way to know if you have COVID-19 is by getting tested. Testing is available to all Union County residents who wish to be tested, whether or not experiencing symptoms. It is free of charge, regardless of whether you have insurance or not. Kean University is open for testing Monday-Wednesday-Friday 9:00am-4:00pm and Thursdays 9:00am-2:30pm by appointment. Additionally, check the Union County COVID-19 website for the location of walk-up locations throughout the county. For additional information about testing and locations, please call 908-518-4307 or visit  https://ucnj.org/covid19/testing/walk-up-locations/

Please continue to follow all CDC safety protocols outlined here:  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html

Resources and additional information are available on the New Jersey COVID-19 Information Hub at https://covid19.nj.gov/, and on our borough website under the COVID-19 tab at https://www.newprov.org/information-and-resources/

Be safe, keep well, stay strong, and enjoy the weekend. We will get through this. Pioneer Strong!

– Mayor Al Morgan

New Providence