As New Jersey raises the limit on outdoor gatherings ahead of Memorial Day Weekend and, beaches and more recreational businesses are allowed to reopen, it's important for residents to realize where our community stands in terms of Covid-19 spread. There have been 42 confirmed cases in Merchantville between 3/28 - 5/22 so, as we all look forward to gathering with family and neighbors at Memorial Day outings please be personally responsible and protect yourself and others by physically distancing, wearing a mask and washing your hands. Businesses that are reopening will be implementing restrictions such as: electronic or telephone reservation and payment systems; installing physical barriers between employees and customers; limiting the use of equipment to one person; additional social distancing measures including demarcation and signage; infection control and hygiene practices; frequent sanitization of high-touch areas; and limiting occupancy of restrooms.

Merchantville encourages everyone in our community to protect themselves and others from COVID-19 by masking up. NJ DEP (Department of Environmental Protection) has launched a public awareness campaign that strongly encourages the public to "mask up" and keep their mouths and noses covered when visiting the state's parks, beaches, forests and other open spaces, especially where it is difficult to maintain a 6-foot distance from others. This Dropbox link contains print and social media downloads for anyone to use and post including "Beach" Mask Up!, "Open Space" Mask Up, "Risk" Mask Up! and "Trail" Mask Up! posters  and signs from the digital download center for New Jersey’s “Mask Up!” campaign. 

The NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development has begun to review unemployment claims exhausted since July 2019 for eligibility for federal Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC), “Eligible claimants will begin being notified later this week to certify for benefits,” the agency said. “This process will continue for the next few weeks.” The benefit in question is the extra 13 weeks of federal benefits that was created as part of the CARES Act. Workers who had already received 24 weeks of regular benefits and those who are close to reaching that milestone have been waiting to see when the extra 13 weeks would kick in. The Labor website describes in detail what those who have exhausted their benefits should do to get the extra 13 weeks. As of last week, the agency has paid out $2.5 billion in unemployment benefits to more than 725,000 workers since the start of the coronavirus. About 1.1 million New Jerseyans have applied for benefits.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention initially discouraged people from wearing face masks unless they had COVID-19 and were showing symptoms but, that guidance changed on April 3rd, after studies found that the virus can be spread by asymptomatic individuals, or before symptoms start to show. Now, the CDC recommends that nearly everyone wear a facial covering in public and in areas where social distancing isn’t possible. There are numerous studies that suggest if 80% of people wear a mask in public COVID-19 transmission could be halted so, until a vaccine or a cure for COVID-19 is discovered, a cloth face masks might be the most important tool we currently have to fight the pandemic. The low cost of wearing masks – which can be made at home with no tools – and the potential to slow COVID-19 transmission with wide scale use should motivate everyone to protect themselves and others by wearing a mask in public.

Gov. Phil Murphy on Monday outlined a multi-stage reopening plan for businesses, offices and activities ordered closed to slow the coronavirus outbreak. it's intended to execute a responsible and strategic economic restart to put New Jersey on the road back to recovery from COVID-19. The state has entered “Stage 1”, which allows for relaxed restrictions on low-risk activities, like enjoying parks, beaches and lakefronts, but calls for residents to “stay at home as much as possible.” Visit the NJ Covid-19 Information Hub for more questions and answers on "The Road Back"

The DRBA encourages motorists to wear a face mask as they pass through the cash lanes as the southbound toll plaza on the Delaware Memorial Bridge Twin Span reopen, effective at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday, May 21st. To reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, all DMB toll operators will be required to wear a face mask and gloves while collecting cash tolls. The DRBA is also supplying its collectors with face shields and has installed protective Plexiglas ‘sneeze’ guards in the toll booths. In addition, Delaware Memorial Bridge toll booths will be sanitized between shifts and the toll shifts have been staggered to limit interaction/exposure among toll collectors.