COVID-19 Update April 1, 2020 – Nutley Announces 6th COVID-19 Death – TAPinto.net

The Township of Nutley would like to update the community on several important matters including the passing of a sixth town resident who tested positive for COVID-19, as well as an important announcement from the Public Safety Director Alphonse Petracco.

The Township of Nutley Board of Commissioners is saddened to share the news of the death of a sixth Nutley resident who tested positive for COVID-19. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim’s family.

The Township of Nutley has announced an additional 9 new cases identified today. Bringing the Township total cases to 110 and 6 deaths. Statewide, there are a total of 22,255 known cases and 355 deaths. In Essex County, there are 2,262 known cases and 69 deaths. There have been 30,387 negative test results Statewide, including the 1,822 negative results in Essex County.

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Due to federal privacy regulations, the Township cannot share detailed information on cases and residents should not contact the Nutley Health Department to request patient details.

The Nutley Health Department is working diligently to track any interactions the individuals who tested positive have had with residents, and they will ensure that anyone at risk of exposure is provided with all of the information necessary, including being tested themselves if appropriate

Statement from the Public Safety Director Alphonse Petracco
Commissioner Alphonse Petracco issued the following statement to address concerns from citizens regarding the availability of Public Safety emergency responses:

“It has come to my attention that some residents are concerned that during this pandemic crisis, services are not going to be as readily provided. As the Commissioner of Public Safety, I want to assure the public that the Township of Nutley’s Police, Fire and EMS Departments are fully staffed and will continue to respond to any and every emergency that arises. I am proud of the men and women of the Nutley Police, Fire and EMS departments who continue to put the residents of this wonderful township first.”

How to coronavirus-proof your home
Life under coronavirus means staying at home as much as possible — but you’ll likely need to make a trip to the grocery store or pharmacy at some point. Download or print this tip sheet to make sure you don’t bring the virus back home with you: https://edition.cnn.com/interactive/2020/03/health/coronavirus-tipsheets/coronavirus-proof-your-home/index.html

Testing Facilities
Below is a list of locations in Essex County as well as those offered by the State of New Jersey where residents can be tested for COVID-19. The state testing sites are offering the tests free of charge; private locations may either charge a co-payment or bill your insurance. The sites are:

Newark (Essex County drive through testing facility)
Weequaic Park
Appointment necessary
www.EssexCOVID.org
973-324-9950

Newark
CityMD Newark Urgent Care
617 Broad Street, Newark, NJ 07102
862-201-4596
https://www.citymd.com/urgent-care-locations/nj/newark/newark/073
Walk in, no appointment

Cedar Grove
American Family Care Urgent Care
480 Pompton Avenue, Suite 6, Cedar Grove, NJ 07009
973.239.2300
https://afcurgentcarecedargrove.com/

West Caldwell
The Doctors’ Office Urgent Care of West Caldwell
556 Passaic Avenue, West Caldwell, NJ 07006
973-808-2273
https://www.doctorsofficeurgentcarewestcaldwell.com/
Walk in, no appointment

West Orange
American Family Care Urgent Care
464 Eagle Rock Avenue, Suite C, West Orange, NJ 07052
973.669.5900
https://doctorsexpresswestorange.com/

NJ State Testing Location – Northern Jersey
Bergen Community College
400 Paramus Road
Paramus, NJ 07652
No appointment, drive in only

NJ State Testing Location – Southern Jersey
PNC Bank Arts Center
Garden State Parkway, Exit 116
Holmdel, NJ 07733
No appointment, drive in only

Help for Businesses
The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) recently announced a suite of programs to help small businesses, including grants and loans. For information, visit https://cv.business.nj.gov.

As part of the federal relief package passed by Congress last week, nearly $350 billion in forgivable loans will be made available to small businesses through the Paycheck Protection Program, in addition to other relief options. For information, visit https://www.sba.gov/page/coronavirus-covid-19-small-business-guidance-loan-resources

Ball Fields Closed + Reminder to Practice Social Distancing
The Township has observed groups continuing to use ball fields for sports. This creates opportunities for the coronavirus to spread and endangers the health and safety of the community. As a result, the Township has closed all ball fields effective immediately. Parks will remain open for walking and exercise.

The Township urges residents to remain indoors, to minimize time spent outdoors, and to always follow social distancing best practices including maintaining 6 feet of distance from others when outdoors.

Keep Nutley Clean and Safe – Properly Dispose of Gloves
The Township has received increasing complaints about disposable gloves being disposed on the sidewalk or street. Doing this not only is illegal and pollutes our town, but also puts our employees and neighbors at risk when they need to clean it up. Please respect our environment and our neighbors and properly dispose of gloves in the nearest garbage can.

Parks and Recreation
All Parks and Recreation activities are cancelled through Friday, April 10th,2020. Basketball courts, tennis courts, ball fields, and playgrounds are now closed. Parks will remain open for walking and exercising.

Nutley Public Schools
Governor Murphy has ordered that schools will stay closed “until such time as deemed by health officials to be safe for classes to resume.” At this time the Nutley Public Schools will remain closed through at least Friday, April 10. We will continue to monitor and re-evaluate this evolving situation and provide updates to the community via email, our district website, and social media. This closing includes the cancellation of all school related activities including athletic practices, games and scrimmages.

Additionally, the Nutley Public Schools have applied for and have been approved by the New Jersey Department of Agriculture to operate temporarily under the Seamless Summer Option (SSO). The Seamless Summer Option is a federal meal program that encourages more School Food Authorities (SFAs) already participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP) to provide meals during periods longer than 10 days of closure. All Nutley resident children under the age of 18 regardless of school or eligibility for free/reduced lunch will be provided with grab and go meals. Information on distribution will be sent via the school and Township communication channels shortly.

Health Department Message
Please make every attempt to check in on elderly and/ or disabled neighbors. If you are aware of anyone that is in need of food and/or supplies, please contact the Department of Public Affairs at 973-284-4976.

The annual Rabies Clinic scheduled for Monday, April 13 and Tuesday, April 14 is postponed until further notice.

Nutley Public Library
The Library is now closed until further notice as per Governor Murphy’s Order.

Governor Murphy Orders

How to Get Updates
Residents who wish to receive regular coronavirus updates from the Township of Nutley can visit https://www.nutleynj.org/emergency-notifications to sign up for the Swift911 system.

In addition to receiving emergency alerts, visit www.covid19.nj.gov to stay informed.

Township Government
Your Board of Commissioners continue to take actions that will allow us to continue to provide services while we follow best practices for keeping our employees and residents safe. Please be patient while we implement procedural changes. At this time, all municipal government will remain open, however no person other than an employee is allowed into any building unless absolutely necessary and an appointment is scheduled in advanced. We encourage residents to contact departments by phone or email.

The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus. Residents are urged to remain indoors and to practice social distancing (at least 6 feet) at all times when outdoors.

Individuals can take the following steps to protect themselves:

  • Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If not available, use hand sanitizer.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
  • Avoid contact with people who are sick.
  • Stay home while you are sick and avoid contact with others.
  • Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or sleeve when coughing or sneezing.
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily.

Health Department
Commissioner Rogers and the Nutley Health Department urge residents with general questions about COVID-19 to visit www.nutleynj.org/health or call the Nutley Health Department at 973-284-4976.

The CDC has identified older adults and people who have severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung, or kidney disease as being at higher risk for more serious COVID-19 illness. According to the CDC, early data suggest older people are twice as likely to have serious COVID-19 illness.

Residents are asked to please remember that just because a COVID-19 positive person was observed out and about does not mean that the person had symptoms or that they were aware they were positive at the time they were out. If you were in close contact with a person who has tested positive, you will be notified by the Health Department. Close contact is described as “being with the person for at least 10 minutes at a distance of 6 ft or less.”

Close contacts are instructed to self-quarantine and self-monitor for symptoms for 14 days since they had contact with that COVID-19 positive person. This is because the COVID-19 incubation period is believed to be 14 days. We thank you for your concern, but it is not necessary to contact the NHD about these observations.

The seriousness of COVID-19 has understandably caused concern among our community. Many calls have come into our Health Department from residents asking who has contracted the virus for fear that they may have been in contact with them. Bound by very restrictive patient protection laws (HIPPA), the identity of these patients cannot be shared with the public.

Please know that the most important part of this process is not identifying those affected, but keeping ourselves and our loved ones safe by following social distancing best practices. Please be respectful of people’s privacy and do not share news of someone you have heard may be affected if you do not know it to be true. This exacerbates fear and creates an uneasiness. These are uncharted waters for all of us and we need to stand beside each other and do everything we can to protect our families and friends.

That’s why the CDC recommends that people at higher risk follow the measures cited below:

  • Stay at home as much as possible
  • Stock up on supplies, food and prescriptions.
  • Take advantage of the delivery options in our community:

(Consider contacting your local supermarkets and pharmacies to see if they have delivery options)

Take everyday precautions to keep space between yourself and others.

  • When you go out in public, keep away from others who are sick, limit close contact, and wash your hands often.
  • Avoid crowds as much as possible.
  • Avoid cruise travel and non-essential air travel.

We are committed to staying connected to our older residents during this health emergency and have taken the steps to make regular calls to our most vulnerable seniors at home. We will also stay in contact with regular updates via phone or email.

If you are interested in participating in the Operation Reassurance Program, a senior citizen call program, please contact Cheryl DiAntonio at 973-284-4936.

State of Emergency
The Township of Nutley Board of Commissioners and Office of Emergency Management has declared a State of Emergency due to the coronavirus pandemic. The action will provide the Township with the tools and resources needed to more effectively respond to the situation.

Nutley Department of Public Affairs
The Department of Public Affairs is operating. However, in the interest of public safety and health, access to our office is not available. If you need assistance call 862-333-8595 and a member of our staff will assist you.

Nutley Family Service Bureau
The postponement of the 2020 Scouting for Food Drive will have a significant effect on The Pantry at Nutley Family Service Bureau, which receives up to 90% of its annual shelf stock from this community effort.  At this time, we are emphasizing the need for local support in order that NFSB can continue to serve our neighbors in need. Particularly needed are donations of: cereal, peanut butter, canned chicken and tuna, rice, pasta, sauce, soups and beans. Healthy snacks for children such as granola bars and raisins are also in demand.

Donations are gratefully accepted in the marked bins on the porch at the rear of the NFSB Annex at 169 Chestnut Street. Additionally, grocery gift cards for the purchase of staples are always welcome. For updates, please visit www.nutleyfamily.org

If you or your family find yourselves in need of emergency support (especially at-risk populations including vulnerable seniors and those with disabilities and underlying medical conditions) please contact the NFSB Main Office at: 973-667-1884

Department of Revenue and Finance
All property revaluations have been postponed until further notice.

Nutley DPW
Parking meter enforcement will be suspended until March 30th. Please support our local businesses. Based upon most current information, there is the potential for the virus to be in feces and sewage, therefore effectively immediately, DPW will not be cleaning out residential sewer laterals. 

Nutley Public Schools
Students who typically receive free or reduced breakfast and or lunch at school will still be provided with food. Please check your email for specific times for food pick up by school. If your family does not receive free or reduced lunch, but your family needs additional food support, please call 973-667-1884, option #7. No one will be denied a meal. Nutley Public Schools are currently closed through Friday, March 27, 2020. For more information on Nutley Public Schools, for additional information you should visit: www.nutleyschools.org.

Nutley Public Safety
Please be advised that the Department of Public Safety will be fully staffed and will continue to respond to all emergencies within the Township. We ask that if you are under quarantine or symptomatic that you let the dispatcher know when you call 911.

Code Enforcement Department
Going forward, we will maximize the use of our online website, email and telephone service capability. Please use the contact information below to contact our Code Enforcement Department with all inquiries regarding construction or zoning matters. If we are unable to take your phone call, please leave a voice message and we will contact you promptly.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Telephone: 973-284-4957
Fax: 973-284-0071

Email:

Please note: We will not accept applications for permits or zoning approval at the counter in Town Hall. Only essential required permits will be processed at this time.

Permit applications can be filed by email, please be sure to include all necessary documents, such as sub-code forms, drawings, surveys, manufacturer’s specifications, and a copy of the contractor’s license. These documents can be found at nutleynj.org or requested via email.

Payments and permit applications, with the necessary supporting documents, can be mailed to 1 Kennedy Dr. Nutley, NJ 07110, ATTN: Code Enforcement Dept.  We hope to be able to accept credit card payments in the next few weeks.

Uniform construction code and Zoning inspections will only be scheduled, for essential activities, by contacting our office as noted above. The Construction Official will determine when an inspection is appropriate.

Nutley Tax & Water Department
During the next few weeks, we are asking all residents to use our on-line service capability from the convenience of your home. Visit our website www.nutleynj.org to:

If you prefer you can always mail payments to:

  • 1 Kennedy Drive, Nutley, NJ 07110
  • PTR (NJ State Senior Freeze program) forms will be completed and returned to you within 3 to 4 business days

If you have questions, please contact our office as follows:

** Please note when accessing your water and tax account on-line you will need the following:

Tax:

  • Block
  • Lot
  • Qualifier (only if condo or apartment)
  • PIN # (on tax bill) or e-mail tax collector

Water:

  • Account number
  • PIN # (on water bill) or e-mail water billing

Additional Information
The Township of Nutley will continue to provide updates as the situation warrants via the Township website: www.nutleynj.org.

In addition, the Township reminds all parents and students to avoid congregating outside to avoid unnecessary social contact. 

Other Resources

9-1-1 is for Emergency use ONLY!
Do not use 9-1-1 for complaints or questions.
Nutley Police Dept. direct line: (973) 284-4940.