Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update 6/29/2020
Water Conservation Notice from the Borough of Oakland:
The Borough of Oakland’s Water System has been experiencing excessive consumption in the last several days due to high weather temperature coupled with the lack of rainfall in our area. This is causing a slow but steady decline in the water levels of our storage tanks throughout our Borough.
At this time we are asking residents to voluntarily limit lawn watering to an odd or even day watering schedule that coincides with the house number of their street address. Doing so may help avoid Borough wide mandatory water use restrictions moving forward.
Revised Metal Collection:
Town-wide metal collection has been moved to July 9, 2020, due to the July 4th Holiday.
Recreation Commission Vacancy:
The Oakland Recreation Commission has a vacancy. The primary role will be handling the roller hockey program. To those interested, please submit a Citizen Leadership form by July 15, 2020 and interviews will be scheduled shortly afterwards.
Governor Murphy Announces Indoor Dining Will No Longer Resume on Thursday This Week:
Today Governor Murphy announced that indoor dining will no longer resume on Thursday this week after COVID-19 spikes in other states driven by, in part, the return of indoor dining, therefore, indoor dining is suspended indefinitely. The State of NJ is also pausing indoor dining due to overcrowding, no social distancing, and no masks in various NJ restaurants and bars across the state.
Governor Phil Murphy signed Executive Order No. 157, which implements the reopening’s announced earlier this week that will take effect on Thursday, July 2. Specifically, the Order contains several requirements for indoor dining (which is now suspended until further notice). The Order also contains the baseline requirements for indoor recreational and entertainment businesses, which can open on July 2 at 25 percent capacity, with the exceptions of gyms and fitness centers, movie theaters, performing arts centers, other concert venues, and indoor amusement and water parks. Further, dance floors at any business must be closed or cordoned off. Gyms and fitness centers can, however, offer individualized indoor instruction by appointment only.
The requirements for retail businesses are restated in this Order for clarity, but these requirements are unchanged, other than a clarification that the 50 percent capacity limitation will not include the retail establishment's employees. The Order comprehensively states the COVID-19-related requirements that apply to businesses in the retail, dining, and recreation sectors.
The Executive Order describes the requirements for recreational and entertainment businesses that can open, which include libraries, museums, aquariums, and public and private social clubs. These businesses must limit the capacity of their indoor premises to 25 percent, and are held to many of the same requirements that are imposed on retail businesses (a full list of the requirements is in the Order). However, gyms and fitness centers, movie theaters, performing arts centers, other concert venues, and indoor amusement and water parks, must keep their indoor spaces closed, and dance floors at any business must be closed or cordoned off.
Gyms and fitness centers are, however, permitted to offer individualized indoor instruction by appointment only where an instructor is offering training to an individual, and the individual’s immediate family members, household members, caretakers, or romantic partners. If a gym or fitness center is offering multiple simultaneous instructions at the same facility, these instructions must take place in separate rooms or, if they take place in the same room, must be separated by a floor-to-ceiling barrier that complies with all fire code requirements.
Playgrounds are also permitted to open on July 2. Additionally, personal care services that would require the removal of a face covering, such as facials, can resume on July 2 as well, subject to otherwise applicable requirements issued by the Division of Consumer Affairs and the Department of Health.
In the coming days, the Department of Health will issue standards and protocols for both indoor pools and outdoor amusement and water parks. The Division of Gaming Enforcement will issue standards and protocols for casinos, which will be open on July 2, but will be subject to additional requirements.
For a copy of Executive Order No. 157, please click here.
For a copy of the Department of Health's updated Executive Directive on outdoor and indoor dining, please click here.
Bergen County Ballot Drop Boxes Available:
Ballot Drop Boxes can be found outside in the following locations:
- Demarest - 118 Serpentine Road, Demarest, NJ (Borough Hall)
- Fort Lee - 1355 Inwood Terrace/Anderson Avenue Circular Driveway (Fort Lee Community Center)
- Hackensack - One Bergen County Plaza, Hackensack, NJ (County Administration Building)
- Ramsey - 30 Wyckoff Avenue (Library - in rear of building)
- Ridgewood - 131 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ (Village Hall)
- Rutherford - 176 Park Avenue, Rutherford (Borough Hall)
Ballot Drop Boxes are available 24-hours. Ballots must be in the Drop Box by 8:00 p.m. on election night. Ballots left after 8:00 p.m. on election night will be considered late and not counted.
Upcoming Bergen County Mobile Testing Schedule:
Below is an updated schedule of Mobile COVID-19 Testing hosted by the County of Bergen. Arrive between 10:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. for testing, and 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. for first responders. All mobile testing sites are weather permitting. You must bring identification and proof of Bergen county residence or proof of Bergen county municipal employment/county employment. Copy of driver’s license is required and/or utility bill. Please bring insurance card if applicable. This is a saliva based test, therefore, please do not eat/drink/smoke 30 minutes prior to arriving.
- Tuesday 6/30 – Fair Lawn (Location TBD)
- Wednesday 7/1 – Ramsey and Allendale (Location TBD)
- Thursday 7/2 – Rochelle Park (300 Rochelle Avenue – Midland School Parking Lot)
NJ Transit Rail and Light Rail Resumes Full Weekday Service on July 6:
Beginning Monday, July 6th, NJ Transit will operate full weekday service for rail and light rail providing added capacity to improve distancing on board vehicles, which aligns with “The Road Back”, New Jersey’s roadmap for restoring economic health through public health. Bus service has been operating on a regular weekday schedule since Monday, June 8.
Executive Order 125 became effective in early April and requires NJ Transit to limit occupancy by passengers at 50 percent of the stated maximum vehicle capacity on all buses, trains and light rail vehicles, in addition to the requirement for customers and personnel on board vehicles to wear a face covering. NJ TRANSIT is closely monitoring ridership on all vehicles regarding compliance with these capacity restrictions and will be working closely with the Administration to adjust those limits if necessary.
Travel Advice:
- Before starting your trip, visit njtransit.com for up-to-the-minute service information.
- Customers are encouraged to download or update the NJ TRANSIT mobile app to set up and receive customized service alert information via push notifications. Visit the You Tube video for easy instructions on setting up custom push notifications.
- Stay connected to NJ TRANSIT social media during your commute. Search for rail, bus or light rail-specific Twitter accounts for the best information:
- Twitter: @NJTRANSIT
Self-Quarantine for Travelers FAQ’s:
What is the 14-day quarantine travel advisory and how will it work?
- Under the 14-day quarantine travel advisory announced by the Governors of New Jersey, New York and Connecticut, individuals traveling to or returning to New Jersey from states with increasing rates of COVID-19 are advised to self-quarantine for 14 days. This includes travel by train, bus, car, plane and any other method of transportation.
- The self-quarantine advisory was issued to limit the spread of the virus within our communities. While the recommendation relies on personal accountability, state officials expect that affected individuals will follow the recommendation. Travelers arriving from areas with increasing COVID-19 cases may wish to postpone their travel to the region if they are unwilling or unable to follow the self-quarantine advisory.
How are impacted states being identified?
- The 14-day quarantine travel advisory applies to travel from certain states identified as those that have a positive COVID-19 test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents or have a 10% or higher positivity rate over a seven-day rolling average (“impacted states.”)
When does the advisory go into effect?
- The travel advisory went into effect at midnight on Wednesday, June 24, 2020.
Which states are included in the travel advisory?
- As of Friday, June 26, there are currently eight states that meet the criteria stated above:
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Arizona
- Florida
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
- Texas
- Utah
Please check https://covid19.nj.gov/ for a list of states that meet the criteria. New Jersey is working with NY and CT to maintain a list of impacted states. The website will be updated every Monday.
Upcoming Board, Committee, Commission Meetings:
Meeting Links and Passwords for upcoming Board, Committee, and Commission Meetings are posted here.
- Recreation Commission 6/29 at 8:00 p.m.
Coronavirus Positive Tests in Oakland:
Today the Borough of Oakland was notified by the Bergen County Health Department that there are a total of 237 individuals in Oakland who tested positive for the Coronavirus (COVID-19). Bergen County has a total of 19,283 positive Coronavirus Cases, and the State of NJ has 171,272 positive 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.