From Maplewood Mayor Frank McGehee at 6:01 p.m. March 15, 2020:
Good evening my fellow residents,
As of this moment there are over 3,000 confirmed coronavirus COVID-19 cases in the U.S. We have 98 confirmed cases in the state of New Jersey including 11 in Essex County and one case here in Maplewood. The patient is a 31 year old male, who does not have children and is self-isolating.
We will continue to provide you with updates.
I want to re-emphasize that if you are feeling sick, please stay home. Call your healthcare provider for guidance on how to manage your symptoms and if you can manage your symptoms (cough and fever) from home, please do so.
If there is someone sick in your household, everyone needs to self-quarantine at home. Therefore, limit your contact with others who are not in your household such as visitors.
With regard to coronavirus test kits, no test kits are available at Town Hall. If you need coronavirus testing, please call your healthcare provider or an urgent care center and confirm if they have test kits before you go.
If you are a close contact with a suspected or known case of coronavirus and have questions on what to do, please call the Maplewood Public Health Division, (973) 762-8120.
Coming out of this afternoon‘s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) meeting, we have decided to move forward with the following:
Effective immediately, all jitney service will be discontinued indefinitely.
Starting tomorrow Monday, March 16, social distancing tactics will be in effect for all resident interaction with staff at Town Hall. As a result, only the front entrance to Town Hall on Valley street will be accessible to the public. We also advise that residents leverage the dropbox at Town Hall for transactions such as the early bird special for the pool. Please Note: there are two dropbox locations, one on Valley Street in the front and the second at the side door entrance near Park Rd.
To increase social distancing, effective 6 AM Monday, March 16, 2020 the Township of Maplewood is closing all public playgrounds and enclosed recreational court facilities (basketball courts, paddle tennis courts, and tennis courts) until further notice. Appropriate signage and fencing will be added to enforce this decision.
Playgrounds are by nature, social gathering places and a public space. Please also avoid using school playgrounds and playgrounds in other townships to maintain social distancing best practices.
