From South Orange Village:
April 21, 2020
Neighbors,
As of 7:00 p.m. tonight, 174 South Orange residents have received access to the limited available testing (e.g., they’ve exhibited the required fever and respiratory symptoms) and of that number, 72 have returned positive and 102 have returned negative. Two members of our community have passed away due to COVID-19 to date. Please continue to keep their families in your prayers.
By the Numbers: Impact of COVID-19 in South Orange
In Essex County, there are 11,222 positive cases and 863 reported deaths. In New Jersey, there are 92,387 positive cases and 4,753 reported deaths.
Local Reminders
- Property tax payments are still due on May 1; this is mandated at the state level.
- Sewer payments are due May 1; the Board of Trustees had extended the payment date.
- The Public Works yard and recycling center will remain closed to the public until future notice. This includes Container Day scheduled for Saturday, April 25; Electronic Waste scheduled for Saturday, May 2; and Container Day scheduled for Saturday, May 16.
- South Orange parks are open for passive and no-contact recreation such as walking or jogging, doing some exercise by yourself or with your family. Please note that our police department is regularly monitoring our parks and any appearance of a gathering or overcrowding due to high demand will be dispersed. Playgrounds, tennis courts, basketball courts and fields remain closed.
- The Governor’s Executive Order requires “customers to wear a face covering when entering any essential business open to the public, with limited exceptions” (e.g. health-related reasons and children under age 2). As you know, this is no longer optional. If you are not wearing a face covering, you can be denied service.
- You must properly dispose of your gloves/masks in the trash, not our streets. Do not flush “disposable wipes.”
- The physical operations of all non-essential construction projects ceased at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, April 10. For homeowners or renters, projects already underway with a construction crew of five or fewer individuals and involving individual single-family homes or an individual apartment unit where an individual already resides may continue.
- STAY AT HOME
I’ll close by saying that I’m so incredibly grateful and proud of the South Orange community as a whole. We have collectively and consistently ranked last or in the 3 lowest Essex County towns in terms of positive test cases and deaths per capita. Not only are our residents and businesses following guidelines, but we have hundreds of volunteers who are raising money for vulnerable populations, showing support to healthcare workers through food deliveries while directing funds into our local food establishments, sewing thousands of masks, using 3D printers for face shields and so much more. While we’re disconnected from human contact, I’ve never felt more “connected” to our community.
Please do not, under any circumstances, ease up on what you’ve been doing. Your sacrifices will continue to keep your family and our community safe.
In solidarity,
Sheena Collum
Village President
