Essex County To Close Zoo, Stop Evictions As Coronavirus Spreads – West Orange, NJ Patch

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Essex County is taking precautions against the new coronavirus known as COVID-19, including closing several facilities, postponing events and changing visiting policies, officials announced Friday.

In addition, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office will be suspending foreclosures, evictions and sheriff’s sales until the public health emergency is over.

“We are taking precautions in order to keep our residents safe and prevent any possible exposure to coronavirus,” Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. said.

“One of the ways to reduce the spread of the virus is to prevent community spread by avoiding large gatherings such as races and festivals,” DiVincenzo said, echoing an earlier announcement from Gov. Phil Murphy.

The county executive said conditions surrounding the virus are “changing rapidly” and will continue to be monitored. For now, officials are relying on the guidance of the Essex County Health Officer, the New Jersey State Department of Health, the CDC, WHO and other public health authorities. County policies will evolve as public health experts begin to understand more about the virus.

“We’re doing everything we can to ensure that our residents feel safe,” DiVincenzo added.

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Here are some of the steps the county is taking, as of Friday.

CLOSURES

As a preventive measure, the following county facilities will be closed for two weeks from Saturday, March 14 to Friday, March 27:

Essex County Vocational School District
Essex County Turtle Back Zoo
Essex County Codey Arena
Essex County Golf Course: Francis Byrne Golf Course, Hendricks Field Golf Course and Weequahic Golf Course
All community centers and senior buildings located within the Parks System

The Parks Department will not issue any new permits for events being held within this time period, county officials said.

EVENTS POSTPONED

The above closures will result in the postponement or cancellation of any events being hosted by the county or independent organizations at these locations, officials said.

In addition, the following events are being postponed:

The Annual State of the County Address on Monday, March 23
Census Day at Essex County Turtle Back Zoo on Saturday, March 28th and Sunday, March 29
The Cherry Blossom Bike Race in Essex County Branch Brook Park on Saturday, April 4
The Cherry Blossom 10K Race in Essex County Branch Brook Park on Sunday, April 5

FORECLOSURES, EVICTIONS

The Essex County Sheriff’s Office will be suspending all foreclosure sales and executions for evictions/ejectments until the public health emergency is over, authorities announced Friday.

“Our important elemental concern is to insure that members of the Essex County community are safe and healthy, which is why our office came to this decision,” Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura said. “Our hope is that by curtailing these types of interactions and face-to-face events, we will help stop any spread of contagion during this crucial period of outbreak.”

Fontoura said the suspension will be in effect until both the state and the Essex County Sheriff’s Office have concluded that “the public health emergency has passed.”

Essex County residents with questions can contact the county Civil Process Division at 973-621-4116.

VISITING POLICIES: JAIL, HOSPITAL CENTER

The visitation schedule at the Essex County Correctional Facility in Newark has been modified, and additional measures to medically screen detainees entering and being released from the prison have been implemented, officials said Friday.

The visitation schedule and outside passes for patients at the Essex County Hospital Center have been suspended, officials said.

OTHER CHANGES

Other preventative measures in Essex County include:

Additional procedures have been implemented at all county facilities and buildings to enhance the cleaning and sanitizing of offices and areas where the public gathers, such as waiting rooms.
Clients dropping off forms, applications or other documents at 18 Rector Street or 50 South Clinton Street are being asked to mail them, send them electronically or deliver them to drop boxes in the office.
Additional procedures have been implemented to clean and sanitize the vehicles that are part of the Essex County Special Transportation program and partnerships have been created with companies like Uber and Lyft to provide additional transportation options if it becomes necessary.
The congregate meal program offered by the Division of Senior Services as part of the Senior Café in the Park program and at other locations throughout the County have transitioned to a “grab and go” format and, in some cases, to home delivered meals.

CORONAVIRUS IN NEW JERSEY

Twenty-nine people have been diagnosed with presumptive positive cases of COVID-19 in New Jersey as of Thursday afternoon, with one person dying from the disease. Gov. Phil Murphy has declared a state of emergency, and schools across the state have begun to cancel classes.

In general — depending on where they live — New Jersey residents still face a “low risk” of contracting COVID-19, State Epidemiologist Christina Tan said during a Wednesday press conference.

There have been more than 1,250 confirmed U.S. cases of the new coronavirus as of Friday morning according to Johns Hopkins University, which said the disease also has killed 33 people nationwide.

WHAT IS COVID-19?

Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that include the common cold as well as much more serious diseases. The strain that emerged in China in late 2019, now called COVID-19, is related to others that have caused serious outbreaks in recent years, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the U.S. was on Jan. 21.

The disease, which apparently originated in animals, is now transferring from person to person, although the mechanism is not yet fully understood. Its symptoms include fever, coughing and shortness of breath, and many patients develop pneumonia. There is as yet no vaccine against COVID-19 it and no antiviral treatment.

According to the CDC, the best way of preventing the disease is to avoid close contact with people who are sick, to avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands, to wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and to use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol if soap and water are not available.

To avoid spreading any respiratory illness, the CDC recommends staying at home when you are sick, covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue and throwing the tissue in the trash, cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces.

The CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a face mask to protect themselves from respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19. You should only wear a mask if a health care professional recommends it. A face mask should be used by people who have COVID-19 and are showing symptoms. This is to protect others from the risk of getting infected. The use of face masks also is crucial for health workers and other people who are taking care of someone infected with COVID-19 in close settings (at home or in a health care facility).

Residents who have questions about the virus can contact the State of New Jersey’s hotline at 1 (800) 222-1222. The hotline is home of the New Jersey Poison Information and Education System, and is staffed 24 hours a day by state health workers.

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