Bridgewater Declares State Of Emergency As Coronavirus Spreads

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — Bridgewater Township declared a state of emergency on Monday night in response to the spread of the new coronavirus. One presumptive positive case of the coronavirus (COVID-19) was reported in the township on Thursday.

"Bridgewater needs to make sure that it is doing its part in slowing the impact of the COVID-19 virus and keeping its residents safe," said Mayor Matthew Moench. "The steps we are taking today will reduce the footprint of our municipal government and makes sure that we are setting an example for conduct. I would like to thank our police, volunteer emergency responders and the dedicated public health workers here and elsewhere. These people are working around the clock to ensure that we stay healthy in this time of uncertainty. Bridgewater, with the rest of the world, is in new territory and our public officials are working hard to make the right decisions at the right time."

New Jersey Coronavirus Updates: Don't miss local and statewide announcements about novel coronavirus precautions. Sign up for Patch alerts and daily newsletters.

The emergency declaration put the following measures into effect:

• The Municipal Offices of the Township of Bridgewater shall operate on a staff-only basis and shall be closed to the general public.
• The Department of Finance will waive the Township’s online payment fee for e-check payment of property taxes until April 30. This waiver applies to fees assessed by the Township only.
• Until further notice, all building inspections under the jurisdiction of the Department of Municipal Services shall generally be limited to exterior inspections, vacant building inspections, inspections for properties presently under construction, and inspections for pending or anticipated real estate transactions, with all such inspections to be conducted at the absolute discretion of the Director Municipal Services or his designee.
• Until further notice, all health inspections shall be limited to registered complaints pursuant the Health Officer’s statutory and regulatory authority.
• The Regular Meeting of the Bridgewater Township Council presently scheduled for March 31 will be conducted as currently scheduled, subject to further consultation and coordination with Council President Howard Norgalis. The Township Council’s Agenda Session presently scheduled for March 27 will be cancelled.
• The meetings of all other boards, committees, and commissions of the Township of Bridgewater, including but not limited to the meeting of the Bridgewater Township Zoning Board of Adjustment presently scheduled for March 17 and the meeting of the Bridgewater Township Planning Board, presently scheduled for March 24, shall be cancelled through March 31.
• Parks and recreational facilities under the operation and control of the Bridgewater Township Parks Department shall operate as normal but be restricted to groups of ten individuals congregating jointly for the purpose of recreation. The only exception to the foregoing is the portion of Slattery Park located on the premises of 100 Commons Way known as "Kids Street," which, due to the interactive nature of the equipment present thereat, shall be closed indefinitely.
• All programs sponsored by the Bridgewater Township Division of Recreation shall be cancelled through March 31. Any resident who has registered for a program affected by this cancellation and submits a request for a refund to the Division of Recreation shall have their participation fee refunded thereby.
• Spring recreation programs (those programs or activities commencing on April 1 or thereafter), will be evaluated in the coming weeks with further updates provided to residents as more information becomes available.
• The Bridgewater Township Senior Citizens Center shall be closed until March 31.
• In compliance with the order of the Administrative Office of the Courts, the Municipal Court of the Township of Bridgewater shall conduct no sessions until April 7, but the administrative offices thereof shall remain in operation pursuant to the terms of this order.
• Bridgewater Township will move to an email-only response system for records requested under the Open Public Records Act, N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq., and temporarily suspend the physical copy of records until March 31.

A 23-year-old man from Bridgewater may have been exposed with coronavirus through close contact with a Pennsylvania resident, according to State Health Commissioner Judith Persichelli on Thursday. (See Related: Bridgewater Man Could Be 1st Somerset County Coronavirus Case)

As of Monday Gov. Phil Murphy announced there are 178 positive cases of COVID-19 in New Jersey. Of those five were in Somerset County.

Non-essential businesses in New Jersey will shut down beginning on Monday at 8 p.m. because of the coronavirus outbreak, Murphy announced. New Jerseyans should not do "non-essential travel" – such as leaving your home – from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., Murphy said. (See Related: NJ Coronavirus Curfew: Bars, Restaurants, Theaters To Shut)

Have a news tip? Email alexis.tarrazi@patch.com.

Get Patch breaking news alerts sent right to your phone with our new app. Download here.