Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update 10/9/2020

From Mayor Linda H. Schwager
Coronavirus Update 10-9-2020

Borough Offices Closed Monday October 12th:

Borough Offices, except for emergency services, will be closed on Monday October 12, 2020 in observance of Columbus Day. Borough Offices will reopen on Tuesday October 13th.

Borough Clerk's Office Open Until 9 P.M. on Tuesday October 13th for Voter Registration:

The Borough Clerk's Office will be open from 8:30 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. on Tuesday October 13, 2020 for voter registration. Those that are not registered to vote, and need assistance registering, may stop by the Borough Clerk's Office at 1 Municipal Plaza, Oakland, NJ 07436.

Elections Update:

The County Clerk has sent out Mail-In ballots to all registered voters in Oakland.  You should be receiving them within the week.  Residents are encouraged to submit the ballots as soon as possible.  The ballots can be mailed by USPS with the postage paid envelope or they can be put in the Ballot Drop Box located in front of the Borough Hall, 1 Municipal Plaza. If you would like to check the status of your vote by mail ballot, you may call 1-877-NJ-VOTER or go to https://voter.svrs.nj.gov/auth/sign-in to login or signup for an individual account to track your ballot. 

Bergen County Extends Small Business Grant Program Deadline to October 30 and Expands Eligibility to 30 Employees:

Due to the success of the Bergen County CARES Small Business Grant Program, Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco announces that the County of Bergen will extend the deadline to apply for the program to October 30. The County of Bergen also announced that the Bergen County CARES Small Business Grant Program will also begin accepting applications for small businesses with 30 or less full-time employees. The program had previously only deemed businesses with 19 or fewer full-time employees eligible to apply. Approximately $10,713,000 has been awarded to 1402 small businesses in Bergen County thus far with 1,400 applications still under review.

Eligible businesses will continue to qualify for up to $10,000 in financial relief, which once approved they will not have to pay back.

The application deadline will be Friday, October 30, 2020 at 5p.m. To apply for the program and for more information, business owners can visit www.BergenCountyCARES.org.  If you have already applied you need not re-apply.

To qualify for the Bergen County CARES Small Business Grant Program businesses must fall under the following criteria:

  • Businesses must have a physical location in Bergen County, NJ and must provide evidence that they are a valid operating business in the State of New Jersey (i.e. Certificate of Formation or Incorporation, latest corporate tax returns, sales tax returns and/or payroll tax returns).
  • Must have 30 or fewer full-time employees.
  • Businesses must have been open and operating on March 1, 2020.

Businesses owned by county employees and elected officials, as well as their immediate families, are not eligible.

Businesses that have received other financial assistance are eligible to apply but priority will be given to businesses that have not received any Federal grant assistance, New Jersey Economic Development Authority, US Small Business Administration grants or other grant assistance.

Receipt of grant funds through the Bergen County Small Business Grant Program is a one-time opportunity. Any business that has received grant funds during any phase of the Bergen County Small Business Grant Program is not eligible to receive additional grant funds through the Program.

The Bergen County CARES Small Business Grant Program is funded through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act Federal relief fund. For administrative and troubleshooting questions please email BergenCountyCares@co.bergen.nj.us or call the troubleshooting hotline at 201-336-6011.

Updated Quarantine Advisory Issued for Individuals Traveling to New Jersey, Bringing New Total to 35 States and Territories:

Governor Phil Murphy today 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 New Mexico, bringing the total to 35 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 6, there are currently 35 states and territories that meet the criteria stated above: Alabama; Alaska; Arkansas; Colorado; Delaware; Florida; Georgia; Guam; Iowa; Idaho; Indiana; Illinois; Kansas; Kentucky; Louisiana; Minnesota; Missouri; Mississippi; Montana; North Carolina; North Dakota; Nebraska; New Mexico; Nevada; Oklahoma; Puerto Rico; Rhode Island; South Carolina; South Dakota; Tennessee; Texas; Utah; Wisconsin; West Virginia; and Wyoming.

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 Hosting Breast Cancer Awareness Seminar:

The Borough of Oakland Mayor's Wellness Campaign is hosting a Breast Cancer Awareness Seminar on Tuesday October 27, 2020 from 12:00 p.m. - 12:45 p.m. on ZOOM.

Important topics of discussion include pre-stages, screening, and how to conduct a thorough self-breast examination.

The presenter is Dr. Amanda Podolski, MD, of Valley Health System and Mt. Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Center.

To register, click here.

Coronavirus Positive Tests in Oakland:

The Borough of Oakland has been notified by the Bergen County Department of Health that there are currently 2 new positive cases of COVID-19 reported in Oakland, bringing our to-date total of 265 positive reported cases. There are 5 new positive cases in Franklin Lakes bringing their to-date total to 219 cases, and no new positive cases in Wyckoff bringing their to-date total to 418 cases. Bergen County reported 102 new positive cases bringing the County of Bergen total to 22,899. Today the Borough of Oakland was notified by the Bergen County Department of Health that there was 881 new positive COVID-19 cases reported Friday, bringing the state-wide New Jersey total to 212,013 cases. These increasing positive cases are due to spikes in Ocean and Monmouth County.

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.