North Caldwell Reacts To Coronavirus: Closings, Court, Parking

NORTH CALDWELL, NJ — The Borough of North Caldwell is making changes to protect local residents from the new coronavirus known as COVID-19.

READ MORE: NJ Coronavirus Updates (Here's What You Need To Know)

On Friday afternoon, township officials issued the following advisory about local preparations in North Caldwell, which are "effective immediately."

MUNICIPAL OFFICES & FACILITIES

Municipal Offices

• Physical public access to all municipal offices (including Borough Hall, Firemen’s Community Center, and the Public Works Office) will be suspended through at least Sunday, March 29.
• The Borough Hall public lobby will be closed to the public but residents can use the frontdoor drop box for utility and tax payments. No loitering shall occur in or around this lobby.
• All offices are open and Municipal Staff will be available during this time to answer questions and concerns from the public via telephone and email, however no in-office visitation will be permitted for the duration. As such, with less in-person communication, phone messages will be handled in a timely manner.
• All residents and property owners are encouraged to utilize our online payment options for utility payments.
• The North Caldwell Municipal Court sessions scheduled for Thursday, March 19 and Thursday, April 2 have been cancelled and all cases will be adjourned. For more information, please call (973) 228-6410, x-109.
• Emergent matters of the Police Records window (such as handicapped parking permits) will be handled at the Police Department Dispatch window. Routine report requests can be requested via phone at (973) 228-0800 and they will be emailed or faxed to you.

Building Department & Fire Prevention Bureau

• Permit/plan application drop off and pick up will be available by appointment only. Please call (973) 228-6410 to arrange an appointment.
• Telephone screening for symptoms of COVID-19 prior to all appointments and inspections will be occurring.
• The Borough will be erring on the side of caution and the inspectors will be using discretion when entering dwellings and interacting with individuals. Only essential contractors, homeowners, or authorized representatives necessary for the completion of any inspection shall be on site during such inspection in an effort to limit unnecessary contact.
• All non-essential inspections by the Fire Prevention Bureau are suspended through Sunday, March 29.
• Residential Smoke, Carbon Monoxide, and Fire Extinguisher inspections for resale and rental dwellings for real estate closings scheduled on or after April 2 will not be scheduled until at least March 30. Any Residential Smoke, Carbon Monoxide, and Fire Extinguisher inspections for resale and rental of residential dwellings for Closings scheduled before April 2 will occur, however; only one realtor, homeowner, or authorized representative shall be on site during such inspection in an effort to limit unnecessary contact.

Department of Public Works – Water Department

• Non-emergent water meter replacements are suspended through March 29.
• Final readings of water meters will be scheduled by appointment only, however; only essential property owners or authorized representatives necessary for the completion of any inspection shall be on site during such inspection in an effort to limit unnecessary contact.
• The Division of Water Quality currently identifies the threat of the COVID-19 Virus to public health in New Jersey as low, but in anticipation of additional cases in our State, NJ Officials have been diligent in preparing for and preventing the spread of the virus. Please visit the US EPA website (https://www.epa.gov/coronavirus/coronavirus-and-drinking-water-andwastewater) to read their statement.

Recreation Facilities

• Liberty Field, Mountain Avenue Field, Fireman’s Field, Magnusson Field and Borough Hall Tennis Courts are closed through March 29.
• All recreational sports, programs, activities and events are suspended through at least March 29.

Senior Services

• The Seniors lunch scheduled on Wednesday, April 1 has been canceled. Future senior lunches will be determined at a later date

Public Meetings

• All Boards and Commission meetings are cancelled through March 31.
• The Borough Council meeting scheduled for Wednesday, March 25 will likely be held by teleconference, however, the public will not be permitted to attend the meeting in person. The meeting will be made available to the public via a public call-in phone line. More information on this, including how the public will be permitted to participate in the meeting, will be forthcoming next week.

Overnight Parking

• Overnight Parking Enforcement will be relaxed through April 30. Please comply with all other parking statutes and ordinances, as they will remain in effect and will be enforced. Any parking-related questions can be directed to the North Caldwell Police Department at (973) 239-5000.

Garbage, Recycling and Bulk

• Curbside garbage, recycling, vegetative waste (leaf), and bulk pickups will operate on a normal schedule.
• Recycling collection will operate on a normal schedule

"The borough understands the public’s concerns about COVID-19 and our local health department is working closely with the NJDOH and the CDC to monitor and respond to the situation," officials said.

"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 and provide remote assistance," North Caldwell officials continued.

Borough officials concluded:

"We will also stay in contact with regular updates via phone or email. Symptoms to monitor include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. If you experience any symptoms, please contact your medical care provider. We strongly urge all residents to take all necessary precautions to prevent the community spread of COVID-19. We cannot over emphasize the importance of limiting social contact while the Borough and the School District restrictions are in place. Taking the necessary precautions and remaining mindful of restricting personto-person contact should be foremost in our day-to-day lives for the time being."

CORONAVIRUS IN NEW JERSEY

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.

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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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