COVID-19 hospitalizations appear to be in decline, but we still have steps to take before we can reopen the economy.
Dear Residents,
Hope you and your families are safe and well.
Governor Murphy laid out a plan Monday to reopen New Jersey, but it will require hitting several public health benchmarks before the state can be released from its near-lockdown restrictions.
First, there must be a sustained drop in new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations over 14 days. New Jersey will double testing capacity, establish contact-tracing measures and create locations for infected individuals to self-isolate. Then, the state will execute a planned methodical and strategic return to work with continued attention to safety.
Data as of Monday evening include glimmers of hope that we are flattening the curve, with hospitals reporting a sixth straight day of declining cases of suspected or confirmed cases. However, the Governor’s stay-at-home Executive Order will remain in effect in its entirety until further notice. As such, we must continue to do our part. Stay home. If you must go out, practice social distancing, wear a cloth face covering and follow other measures as recommended by the CDC.
I know that these five weeks have not been easy, even harder on some than others. As the weather gets warmer it is more difficult to adhere to these executive orders, but please be responsible. So much hard work has been done. Please be aware that the essential workers, first responders and health care professionals put themselves at risk for us.
We can do this. We do not want to go backwards and extend this shutdown longer that it needs to be. Be safe.
Mike Glackin
Mayor
Hazlet Township
mglackin@hazlettwp.org