On Thursday, November 12th, the Governor reported that there were 3,517 new cases of COVID-19 in New Jersey and that the cumulative total since March 4th was 266,986. Between Monday, November 9th to Thursday, November 12th there were 10,472 new cases of COVID-19 reported throughout our state. 

In an attempt to mitigate the increasing spread of COVID-19 throughout our communities, this past week Governor Murphy announced that all restaurants, bars, clubs, and lounges that serve food and drink must close their indoor premises for business by 10:00pm. Outdoor dining may continue past 10:00pm, as can takeout or delivery services. 

All bar-side seating is also prohibited at all hours for the immediate future. Since some restaurants have relied upon bar seating to allow themselves to reach the 25% capacity limit, the state is allowing restaurants to now meet that limit by placing tables closer than six feet if they are separated by barriers. As the weather trends cooler, the Governor has allowed heated individual group dining “bubbles” to be set up outside to help provide our restaurants with greater flexibility. 

Youth sports continue to be a challenge. Since the beginning of October, there have been 14 outbreaks among hockey teams in Gloucester, Union, Somerset, Bergen, Morris, Passaic, and Mercer counties. These outbreaks have led to more than 70 positive cases. The Governor announced this week that all interstate games and tournaments for indoor youth sports, up to and including high school, are prohibited for the time being. Indoor sports create a greater risk of team-wide transmission, and that risk is even greater when teams from multiple states come together for tournaments or other youth league functions. 

New Jersey is back at levels we thought we left behind months ago. I know we would all love to be done with COVID-19, but unfortunately, COVID-19 is not done with us. We have to shake off the pandemic fatigue that I know we all feel.  We cannot let up on social distancing, on wearing masks, or on practicing good hand hygiene. We need to get back in the mindset that helped us flatten the curve in the spring.

Have a good weekend, and be safe. 

Sarah Neibart

Mayor, Mendham Township