Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update 10/30/2020
Borough of Oakland Hosting ‘Trunk or Treat’ on Saturday October 31st:
The Borough of Oakland is hosting the Annual Halloween Trick or Trunk on Saturday October 31, 2020 by the Oakland Public Library, 2 Municipal Plaza, Oakland, NJ 07436. Trophies are awarded for best decorated cars and free pumpkins will be available. There is no rain date for this event, but pumpkins will be available regardless.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Halloween Parade, corn maze, and train ride will not take place this year.
Children participating in trick or trunk:
- Must wear a cloth face mask under their costume masks.
- A social distance of 6 feet must be maintained.
Governor Murphy has strict limitations on crowd size. As a result, the following schedule for children participating in the trick or trunk applies:
- Heights School: 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
- Dogwood School: 10:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
- Manito School: 11:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Siblings welcome at any time slot.
Participants in car decorating:
- Car staging starts at 8:45 a.m.
- Participants must wear cloth face masks and gloves.
- A social distance of 6 feet must be maintained.
- Participants must dispense individually wrapped candy.
- A minimum of 300 wrapped candies required.
For more information on your car entry, contact Joe Inglima at j2a1i7@aol.com.
Update on the General Election:
The General Election is primarily vote by mail. The Borough of Oakland has a ballot drop box at the Borough Hall, 1 Municipal Plaza, Oakland, NJ 07436 to the left of the front door, and will be collected until Election Night at 8:00 p.m. The box is under 24/7 surveillance. Oakland’s only polling location on Election Day is at Valley Middle School, 71 Oak Street, Oakland, NJ 07436. Residents may vote in person ONLY on a paper provisional ballot. The voting machines are ONLY for those that are blind and illiterate and must sign a certification of such.
Building on ongoing efforts to safeguard New Jersey’s frontline workforce, Governor Phil Murphy signed Executive Order No. 192, providing mandatory health and safety standards to protect all New Jersey’s workers at work during the pandemic.
The executive order will take the following actions:
- Workplace health and safety standards to cover all NJ workers
- The executive order will require both private and public sector employers to follow health and safety protocols that will serve to protect their in-person workforces. The Order mandates that as of 6:00 a.m. on November 5th, all employers, at minimum, require individuals at the worksite to maintain at least six feet of distance from others to the maximum extent possible and require employees and visitors to wear masks when entering the worksite, subject to certain limited exceptions.
Other protocols require employers to:
- Provide approved sanitization materials to employees and visitors at no cost to those individuals;
- Ensure that employees practice hand hygiene and provide sufficient break time for that purpose;
- Routinely clean and disinfect all high-touch areas in accordance with DOH and CDC guidelines;
- Conduct daily health checks, such as temperature screenings, visual symptom checking, self-assessment checklists, and/or health questionnaires, prior to each shift, consistent with CDC guidance;
- Exclude sick employees from the workplace and follow requirements of applicable leave laws; and
- Promptly notify employees of any known exposure to COVID-19 at the worksite.
- Collaborative enforcement mechanism to address complaints
The Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) will support the Department of Health’s efforts to address worker complaints from their employers. NJDOL’s roles will include establishing an intake form on the NJDOL website to receive complaints and developing an investigation and inspection protocol to review complaints.
Training program to inform workers of their rights and to encourage employer compliance
The executive order also directs NJDOL to provide compliance and safety training for employers and employees. The department will provide materials to inform workers of their rights and businesses of their obligations as well as coordinate with workforce training partners to create and provide training.
Copy of Executive Order No. 192
Updated Quarantine Advisory Issued for Individuals Traveling to New Jersey, Bringing New Total to 41 States and Territories:
Governor Phil Murphy advised individuals traveling to New Jersey from states or territories with significant community spread of COVID-19 to quarantine for a 14-day period from the time of last contact within the identified state or territory. The updated advisory includes the addition of California and Massachusetts, bringing the total to 41 states and territories. The travel advisory applies to any person arriving from a state or territory with a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents or a state with a 10 percent or higher positivity rate over a 7-day rolling average.
As of Tuesday, October 27, there are currently 41 states and territories that meet the criteria stated above: Alabama; Alaska; Arizona; Arkansas; California; Colorado; Florida; Georgia; Guam; Iowa; Idaho; Indiana; Illinois; Kansas; Kentucky; Louisiana; Maryland; Massachusetts; Michigan; Minnesota; Missouri; Mississippi; Montana; North Carolina; North Dakota; Nebraska; New Mexico; Nevada; Ohio; Oklahoma; Puerto Rico; Rhode Island; South Carolina; South Dakota; Tennessee; Texas; Utah; Virginia; Wisconsin; West Virginia; and Wyoming.
Neighboring states Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Delaware now meet the criteria for New Jersey’s travel advisory. Due to the interconnected nature of the region and mode of transport between New Jersey and the three states, a 14-day quarantine is not reasonable in all instances. Non-essential travel to and from these states, however, is highly discouraged at this time. New York and Connecticut are also discouraging non-essential travel to and from New Jersey, but are not mandating that travelers quarantine due to the interconnected nature of the region and economy. Massachusetts will be included on New Jersey's advisory, but neither New York’s nor Connecticut’s based on the same criteria.
Travelers and those residents who are returning from impacted states should self-quarantine at their home, hotel, or other temporary lodging. Individuals should leave the place of self-quarantine only to seek medical care/treatment or to obtain food and other essential items.
It is expected that individuals will follow the public health advisory to self-quarantine. The list of states will be updated on a rolling basis and is accessible here.
Mayor’s Wellness Campaign:
The Borough of Oakland Mayor’s Wellness Campaign hosted a Breast Health Seminar earlier this week in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The seminar can be viewed on the Borough’s YouTube page here. The Mayor’s Wellness Campaign also hosted a Coping with Coronavirus Seminar and that may be viewed on the Borough’s YouTube Channel here.
Oakland Senior Center Announces Winter Hours:
The Borough of Oakland Senior Center has announced winter hours from November 2, 2020 to February 26, 2021. The hours will be Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The Oakland Recreation Department, also located at 20 Lawlor Drive, is open from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Please leave any mail in the white drop box outside the front door.
Daylight Savings Time:
Fall back on Sunday November 1st at 2:00 a.m. Turn your clocks back 1 hour!
Coronavirus Positive Tests in Oakland:
The Borough of Oakland has been notified by the Bergen County Department of Health that there is currently -2 new positive cases of COVID-19 reported in Oakland, bringing our to-date total of 274 positive reported cases, likely due to a data adjustment. There are 5 new positive cases in Franklin Lakes bringing their to-date total to 241 cases, and 7 new positive cases in Wyckoff bringing their to-date total to 451 cases. Bergen County reported 505 new positive cases bringing the County of Bergen total to 24,894. Today the Borough of Oakland was notified by the Bergen County Department of Health that there was 2,089 new positive COVID-19 cases reported today, bringing the state-wide New Jersey total to 236,523 cases.
If anyone has questions about COVID-19, you can call the 24-hour New Jersey Hotline at (800) 222-1222. You can also visit the State of NJ Coronavirus Website Here.
Important Resources:
- The latest data on coronavirus infections in New Jersey are available on the New Jersey COVID-19 Dashboard. The dashboard has been updated to provide more information on scope of the virus and hospitalizations, including the number of patients hospitalized, discharged, in critical care, in intensive care, and on ventilators, along with data on statewide ventilator capacity, numbers of positive/negative tests, and more.
- New Jersey’s COVID-19 Information Hub includes valuable resources and information for families, workers, and employers who have questions or needs arising from the current crisis.
- Testing Sites: To locate a testing location, specifics on how to get a test, and the hours of operation, click here.
- Information for businesses impacted by COVID-19.