Masks Mandatory and Store Capacity Limits Enacted As New Jersey Continues COVID-19 Fight

(City of Hoboken photo)

Latest numbers indicate that New Jersey has over 51,000 cases of COVID-19, with 1,700 fatalities. Hudson County is the third-hardest hit, with nearly 5,900 coronavirus cases reported. We’ve lost 132 residents countywide, as we head into the projected peak of the virus impact.

Among the earliest to enact social distancing, Hoboken is now able to enforce capacity limits in grocery stores.

“Hoboken’s Office of Emergency Management will be working with all supermarkets to ensure compliance with this order,” said Mayor Ravi Bhalla. “I’m hopeful that this additional occupancy directive will help facilitate additional social distancing in our supermarkets. Thank you again to Trader Joe’s for implementing this measure over a week ago.”

Masks are now a requirement when shopping—for customers and workers alike.

Additionally, customers & employees must wear face coverings. Stores must also provide special shopping hours for high-risk individuals, erect physical barriers between customers and cashiers and baggers where practicable, regularly sanitize areas used by their employees, & more.

— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) April 8, 2020

“This is a positive development for the region, and combined with social distancing, will help save lives. We implemented this directive last week, and our Office of Emergency Management will continue to work with our essential businesses to ensure compliance,” said Bhalla. “Essential businesses, including supermarkets, pharmacies and restaurants, are permitted to deny entry to anyone not wearing a face cover, and some have already begun to do so. I continue to strongly encourage face covers to be worn by residents at all times outdoors.”

In Jersey City, anecdotal reports indicate that customers were being turned away from the Supremo Food Market (323 Palisade Ave) in Jersey City for not having proper face covers. Meanwhile, the City stresses that proper and considerate disposal of these materials is an imperative.

An easy way to #DoYourPart is to help keep #JerseyCity clean & not litter. Cleanliness plays a huge role in our efforts against #COVID19. Use trash receptacles. If one is not in the immediate vicinity, keep on your person. #InThisTogether #JCResponds #HealthierJC #DoYourPart pic.twitter.com/3v85sK0h21

— City of Jersey City (@JerseyCity) April 9, 2020

Jersey City officials maintain that the levels of PPE littering the street was a factor in their decision to restore street cleaning for this week.

This is annoying/disgusting. You may think you’re keeping yourself/others safe by following guidelines but you arent helping if you just throw your medical trash on the ground for others to pick up. It isn’t fair nor right. After 3 weeks of no street cleaning, tomorrow we start pic.twitter.com/vx3BgTaFSw

— Steven Fulop (@StevenFulop) April 5, 2020

Furthermore, Governor Murphy’s recent executive order also prohibits non-essential construction, as of 8:00 pm on Friday. According to the Governor, exceptions include “projects at our hospitals and schools, in our transportation and public utility sector, the building of affordable housing, other individual housing sites that can adhere to strict limits on the number of workers on-site, and other limited instances.”

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