Full Notification

An Announcement from the Office of the Mayor

Coronavirus COVID-19 Response Local Update

November 20, 2020

Our Haledon Community:

As of this writing, there have been 477 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Borough of Haledon. As we prepare for Thanksgiving, we must be cognizant of the legitimate spike in COVID-19 cases. We must continue to wear our masks, practice social distancing, and wash our hands frequently. Thus far, we remain at 14 Haledon residents lost due to complications of COVID-19. It should be noted that, yesterday, the Haledon Board of Health reported 20 new positive cases of COVID-19, which is a record high for positive cases reported in a single day. Prior to yesterday, the record high for positive cases of COVID-19 reported in a single day was 18, which was back in April. My thoughts and prayers remain with everyone affected by this pandemic. I would also like to bring the following to your attention:

• In an attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19, the Governor has issued an Executive Order limiting indoor gatherings to 10 persons, except for religious services/celebrations, political activities, wedding ceremonies, funerals, or memorial services, where the number of attendees is limited to 25 percent of the capacity of the room in which the event takes place, but regardless of the capacity of the room, such limit shall never be larger than 150 persons. Outdoor gatherings are limited to 150 persons. All youth indoor sports and recreational programs remain suspended;

• The Governor also issued an Executive Order directing all restaurants, bars, clubs, and lounges that serve food and drinks to close their indoor premises for business by 10PM each day and they cannot open until at least 5AM the following day. In addition, sitting at a bar is also prohibited. Outdoor dining, takeout, and delivery services may continue past 10PM;

• Furthermore, the Governor also issued an Executive Order authorizing counties and municipalities to order nonessential businesses to close at 8PM to help slow the spread of this second wave of COVID-19. My COVID-19 Response Team will be closely monitoring our COVID-19 statistics and our business social distancing regulations. As of right now, our restaurants and bars will remain open until 10PM; however, should our numbers increase at an alarming rate and/or social distancing protocol violations become a concern, we may have to resort to an 8PM closing out of an abundance of caution;

• The Walgreens located at 441 Belmont Avenue is offering no-cost, contactless COVID-19 rapid drive-thru testing in partnership with the PWNHealth provider network. Testing is available at no cost between 9AM and 5PM. During testing, patients must remain in their vehicle with the window rolled up and follow instructions from the staff. Based on CDC guidance, you should get tested if you develop symptoms of COVID-19 within 14 days of having close contact with that person or if that person later tests positive for COVID-19. Close contact includes being within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period, starting from 2 days before illness onset until the time the infected person is isolated;

• In cooperation with the State of New York, New Jersey launched a contact tracing app called "COVID Alert NJ". This app, which keeps users' identities anonymous, are based on a new technology developed by Google and Apple;

• Passaic County Board of Chosen Freeholders has partnered with Vault Health to offer FREE Covid-19 testing at home for all of our residents. The physician-ordered, provider-supervised and physician-reported saliva collection test for COVID-19 has the same effectiveness as the swab test. This test is performed under the supervision of a Vault healthcare provider through a video telehealth visit eliminating the risk of person-to-person exposure to the virus. To register for your at-home testing kit, you must first fill out the form below to verify your Passaic County residency. Immediately following your submission, you will receive a link to receive your kit. This is FREE to all Passaic County residents, and health insurance is not required. Please note: This is not an antibody test. This test is designed to determine if you currently are infected with COVID-19 and have the potential to infect others. For more information, please visit https://www.passaiccountynj.org;

• Our health officials continue seeking medical professionals to assist with COVID-19 Contact Tracing. If you are interested, please contact Haledon Board of Health Secretary Nebojsa "Vic" Zlatanovic, Esq., at (973) 595-7766 Extension 111 and/or [email protected];

• The Passaic County Health Department continues to administer COVID-19 mobile testing throughout Passaic County please visit https://www.passaiccountynj.org for more information regarding mobile testing. Although you must be a Passaic County resident, you do not need a prescription to be tested;


• Please be reminded that the Governor signed an Executive Order requiring the wearing of masks/face coverings whenever social distancing is not practical; and

• The community is still urged to properly dispose their gloves, masks, or any other personal protective equipment. Regardless, someone still has to pick them up and be exposed to unwanted germs. The Haledon Police Department will continue strongly enforcing littering violations.

We continue to implore you to only travel for a legitimate, essential purpose. The practice of physical, social distancing continues to be paramount. For any updates, please visit our borough website, www.haledonboronj.com. #WeShallOvercome #HaledonStrong

Sincerely,

Haledon Mayor Domenick Stampone, Esq. https://www.facebook.com/domenick.stampone
Twitter @domstampone