Updates from Mayor McGehee
Mayor McGehee September Update
Greetings and in recognition of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, happy holidays to our residents who celebrate, commemorate and reflect.
And speaking of reflection, I would also like to recognize the extraordinary life, career and legacy of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. A tireless champion for gender equality and civil rights, Justice Ginsburg has left a profound mark on our society, which cannot be understated. May we all continue to honor her by continuing the hard work. As she said, "fight for the things you care about. But do it in a way that will lead others to join you."
After hearing the news last night from Louisville, Kentucky regarding the murder Breona Taylor, we have a tremendous opportunity to continue the fight for a more just and equitable society. We must continue to reaffirm that Black Lives Matter not just in our collective words but in meaningful actions across every aspect of our society.
One of the most important actions that we can take is to vote in the upcoming election while encouraging others to do so and doing everything we can to ensure that our electoral process runs fairly and safely. It matters now more than ever.
Please make sure you understand how to vote in the election. See additional details below along with other important updates related to our community.
The Maplewood Public Health Division Update
Our cumulative and new numbers for 8/24 through 9/23 are as follows:
Total Deaths: 27
Total Cases: 367 (+15 new cases - ages: 20-94) OVER 60% of new cases are 20-29 year old
Total recovered cases: 291 (+13)
NJ Statewide confirmed cases: 200,988
Essex County confirmed cases: 20,898 (2nd highest county in NJ)
State aggregate data resources:
https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/ncov.shtml Click under “daily case summary updates.”
https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/covid2019_dashboard.shtml Click the Demographics tab.
For COVID-19 questions, please call 2-1-1 or our Public Health Division at (973) 762-8120 or visit the Maplewood COVID-19 website: https://www.twp.maplewood.nj.us/covid19.
Testing Opportunities
Maplewood’s daily (weekdays only) mobile testing site in partnership with Salerno Medical Associates and Accurate Labs is open!
https://salernomedicalassociates.fullslate.com/services/2074
Essex County testing sites are available weekly:
Nasal Swab Testing:
Friday, September 25th, 8:30am to 12:30pm - Essex County Weequahic Park, Newark
Saliva Testing Dates:
Monday, September 28th - Montclair High School
Tuesday, September 29th - Irvington High School
Note:
Residents age 8 and older are welcome to get tested.
Residents are encouraged to get retested if they have been tested 14 days ago or more and have received negative test results or are asymptomatic.
Testing is provided free of charge to Essex County residents. No insurance
Essexcovid.org
Township of Maplewood Public Health Message - Embrace the New Normal:
#newnormalmaplewood.
When you go out, remember your essentials:
Wallet
Keys
Face Covering and
Cell Phone
Our goal is to keep our numbers low. To do this, our entire community needs to limit attending or creating social gatherings, stay six feet apart, wash your hands regularly, and everyone should wear a face covering in public.
This is the key for success and we can do it so we can maintain and enhance being a functioning society with businesses staying open, children participating in activities and parents returning back to work. But again, this is dependent on everyone doing their part and it is vital now more than ever for people to do so.
To our young Maplewoodians, Please Don’t Risk It. You may think that you will not get sick but you can spread COVID to others including your parents/guardians, grandparents or to a friend/sibling who is immunocompromised. Build your healthy habits now. Wear a face covering/ face mask when you’re in a public space, especially when you are getting together with friends.
#newnormalmaplewood
Please post a picture of yourself properly using face coverings and taking part in everyday activities safely and tag it #newnormalmaplewood. Assist your community by being positive social influencers. Spread the word.
Emergency Food Distribution Events
The South Orange Maplewood School District Fall 2020 Food Support Programs.
This fall, the District's lunch program SOMSD "GRAB AND GO" LUNCH PROGRAM continues and is open to all students Pick-up Times are 12:15pm - 2:45pm Monday - Friday
Please use THIS LINK to learn more!
Essex County NEXT Thursday, October 1st, 8am at Maplewood Community Pool, there will be a food distribution event RAIN or SHINE. Note: Residents ARE REQUIRED to wear face coverings and practice social distancing. The 1,000 boxes will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. There is a walk up option in front of the pool building.
COVID-19 and Child Care Tuition Assistance
Applications are now being accepted for the COVID-19 Child Care Tuition Assistance Program.
This new program provides tuition assistance to New Jersey families with incomes up to $75,000 in need of either full or part-time child care depending on their school’s remote learning schedule. Applications will be accepted until funding is exhausted. Eligible families (in need of child care for their school age children) can apply online at www.childcarenj.gov/COVID19.
Naloxone Giveaway program this week
The statewide FREE Naloxone Giveaway program that is happening this week, Sept 24-26.
Thank you Pharmacist, Sashi Dondapati at Town and Country Pharmacy, 747 Irvington Ave, Maplewood for participating in the program and providing access.
COVID19 in the wintertime
This week the Maplewood Emergency Management Team met and discussed outdoor dining among other COVID related issues. We will be collaborating with our restaurants including our Fire Department and other key departments regarding heating units applications regulations. Our parklets will run through 2020 as well as outdoor dining.
The November 2020 Election is just 40 days away.
Last week I met with Chris Durkin, Essex County Clerk regarding
What You Need to Know to Vote in the November 3rd Election
Thank you to the SOMATV team - Dustin, Larry and Ben for your tremendous work on this program/ Voting PSA and Q&A
General Election Information
Election conducted primarily through vote-by-mail ballots.
All registered voters will be sent a vote-by-mail ballot.
Ballots will begin to be mailed no later than September 28th.
Ballots must be returned by Nov. 3rd, either by mail (postmarked by 11/03), by depositing it in a local secure ballot drop box (by 8 p.m. on 11/03), or by handing it directly to a poll worker at a polling place on Nov. 3rd (signature required).
All ballots sent are real ballots. Sample ballots can be viewed at essexclerk.com.
If the County rejects a ballot, a letter will be sent to the voter stating the reason and the voter will be given an opportunity to fix the defect.
Ballots will be able to be tracked at essexclerk.com (name required) and elections.nj.gov(voter ID required).
Voting at a polling location will be by a paper provisional ballot.
All individuals with disabilities will have access to an ADA-conforming voting machine.
To check if you are registered, go to elections.nj.gov and click the “Am I Registered?” link.
Deadline for voter registration – for first time voters, change of name or address, or change of signature is October 13th. Online voter registration is live at elections.nj.gov.
The Office of the Maplewood Township Clerk will be open on October 13th from 9:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. for the last day of voter registration.
US CENSUS
The US census ENDS in 7 days. Complete your census today. It impacts our next decade!
Over 78% of housing units have been accounted for in the 2020 Census as of today. In 2010, we achieved a final response rate of 78.2%. Go to 2020CENSUS.GOV to complete your Census. It’s now or never.
Our Environment
Even during COVID, we must continue our efforts to save our planet. The Styrofoam and single-use plastics ordinance we still go into effect Oct. 1. We will collaborate with our food businesses to align with this important legislation and initially provide reminders/warnings to businesses not in compliance for an initial period before full enforcement of the fines accosted with the ordinance. It is an important step toward enhancing our green footprint.
COMMUNITY - Happenings on Springfield Ave
Music at the Gazebo - Tomorrow - Friday 9/25 - 7:30pm
Hear the ritmos of Afro Puerto Rican BOMBA Y PLENA!!
Outdoor retail market at Yale Corner - Saturday 9/26 10am to 2pm
Outdoor retail market at Yale Corner. Check out tons of local crafts people including Springfield Avenue merchants as well.
Mural walking tour - Saturday 9/26 11am to 12pm
A self-guided, socially distanced, walking tour starting at either 1978 SA or the Gazebo. There will be music at the Gazebo and some of the artists will be present at their murals.
Thanks,
Mayor Frank
Do the Covid-19 tests reveal presence of anti bodies (ie. that you have had it in the past)?
Tomcat, You won't have to worry about that question if you don't:
go to the listed link
find out where on the school's property the clinic is located (if available)
find out the hours of operation
make the required appointment, if any are still available
I already went to the school and found out this information the long/hard way. Maplewood Twp could have been more specific.
The State of COVID in Maplewood - A note from Health Officer, Candice Davenport and Mayor McGehee
As we continue to adjust to our new normal it is important to note that our FIRST PRIORITY continues to be the health and safety of our residents by reducing any possibilities of community spread and keeping our COVID cases low.
Recently our Board of Health issued an emergency resolution to mandate mask wearing at all times in Maplewood Village. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), masks/face coverings help to control the spread of disease by reducing the exposure to infected respiratory droplets. Because there has been an inconsistency in face covering usage in the Village, this is a proactive effort by our township to prevent more illness.
Mandatory face covering in high density, high pedestrian traffic business areas boosts public confidence to shop and frequent local businesses and reinforces mask wearing compliance. It also helps our small businesses stay in business.
Signage placed prominently around the Village will serve as a reminder that face coverings in public spaces are required during this public health emergency as per the Office of the Governor.
Here are the facts:
While our cases may be low, they are increasing in other areas all across the state.
NJ has been added to Massachusetts’ Higher Risk States List, and now if you travel to MA you are required to fill out a travel form and quarantine.
Last Thursday, Governor Murphy reported that our state had 1,301 new positive cases in one day - Thursday's number was the most announced in one day since late May.
The Essex County 7 day average positive new case count has more than doubled from 24 to 56 in the last 30 days.
1,091 people have died in Essex county and 27 people have died in Maplewood.
State COVID hospitalizations have been increasing every day - hitting a mark of 666 late last week - the highest mark since Aug. 5th.
Maplewood has had 378 confirmed cases to date and while we saw 17 new cases in August and 16 in September, just 11 days into October, we have 9 new active cases with over 50% of them being in their thirties or younger.
While we welcome and encourage the presence of our youth in Maplewood Village, over the past few months there have been ongoing complaints from residents and merchants about the lack of face masks worn by our youth in the Village. While many are doing the right thing, there are still inconsistencies in practice. Everyone, including our youth must wear facial coverings or masks when they are in the Village.
You may have heard about the emergence of indoor parties that some of our teens have attended recently. And hey, we get it. We were teenagers once too and attended our fair share of parties. But today we are in a global pandemic and we know that coronavirus can spread most in areas where social gatherings occur. And while we will not respond to rumors or speculation surrounding these specific recent events, please know that Maplewood's Health Division along with the Village of South Orange will work collectively with the South Orange Maplewood School District to address any activity that may result in an uptick in COVID cases across our community.
Collectively, we must change the way that we are behaving or more Maplewood residents will get sick, very sick or worse.
The request is simple: support our community, your neighbors, friends, classmates and local businesses. Wear a mask and maintain social distancing so we can all be safe during these unprecedented times.
Sincerely,
Candice Davenport, RN, BSN, MPH, MCHES, HO
Health Officer, Public Health Nursing Supervisor, Health Educator
Maplewood Public Health Division
Frank McGehee
Mayor
Township of Maplewood
Key takeaways from the CDC Guidance on Face Coverings
CDC recommends that people wear masks in public settings and when around people who don’t live in your household, especially when other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.
Masks may help prevent people who have COVID-19 from spreading the virus to others.
Masks are most likely to reduce the spread of COVID-19 when they are widely used by people in public settings.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover-guidance.html
Anything about the usual flu shot? I remember they were given about this time last year.
October 26, 2020 - Update from Mayor McGehee
Good Evening Maplewood.
The CDC new definition of Close Contact
The Center for Disease Control has a new definition of Close Contact.
Close Contact is defined as exposure (being within 6 feet) of an infected person for 15 minutes or more cumulatively during a 24-hour period in which the infected person is infectious.
Please wear/continue to wear your mask
Wearing a mask means to be courteous to your fellow neighbors and citizens and protect them from whatever you may or may not have been exposed to including the possibility of being asymptomatic. This should not be too much to ask as it is important that we all recommit and fully embrace our ability to be civil and respectful to each other as a community. This is the #newnormalmaplewood. And speaking of which, please join the #newnormalmaplewood social media campaign. Take a picture of yourself doing everyday activities while simultaneously protecting yourself and others from COVID-19. Post it on any social media of your choice using hashtag #newnormalmaplewood. Thank you
New COVID Alert NJ App
NJ has released a free and secure exposure notification app to assist with Contact Tracing and protecting our communities.
Download COVID Alert NJ in the App Store or Google Play Store. Opt-in to receive “Exposure Notifications”.
The app will use Bluetooth to sense any “close contacts”—other app users who are within 6 feet of you for more than 10 minute.
When your app senses a close contact, your phone will exchange a secure random code with the close contact’s phone. Note your location and name are never disclosed
If you test positive for COVID-19, a public health representative will call you and ask if you’re willing to anonymously notify your “close contacts” by uploading your app’s close contact codes
Each day, the app will compare your list of close contact codes to the list of codes associated with positive COVID-19 app users. If there’s a match you will get an Exposure Alert, along with appropriate next steps Download
Testing
LAST WEEK for Testing at the Community Pool. 8 AM - 4 PM by Appointment or Walk Up https://salernomedicalassociates.fullslate.com/
All insurances are accepted. You must bring an insurance card and a form of I.D. If you do not have insurance, please bring your social security card and testing will be free of charge.
Note: This is not a rapid test. The test is administered down the throat and a blood sample is taken to check for COVID-19 antibodies. All testing is done by professional licensed nurses. You can choose to do one test, or both.
Or
Please check out www.essexcovid.org to register for a test in Essex County this week:
Tuesday – Branch Brook Park – Newark
Wednesday – Verona Community Pool
Thursday – Local 68 – West Caldwell
Friday – Weequahic Park - Newark
Emergency Food Distribution TOMORROW in partnership with
The Maplewood Lions Club and Irvington
Transcend Worship Center, 971 Clinton Avenue, Irvington
Noon
Note: Residents ARE REQUIRED to wear face coverings and practice social distancing.
Boxes will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.
Walk ups are welcome.
Thank you Samantha J. Mendenhall, Chief of Staff to Mayor Tony Vauss And
Philip D. Stern, President Maplewood Lions Club
COVID Stats Update
Our cumulative numbers and October numbers through 10/26 are as follows:
Total Deaths: 27
Total Cases: 402
October new cases: 33 (ages: 13-65 with 30% of new cases are between 13-19 years old.)
Total recovered cases: 299
IMPORTANT: If you receive a positive test result and have not heard from the Maplewood Public Health Division, please contact us at (973) 762-8120 so that we can advise you on isolation, quarantine and contact tracing. Unfortunately we have learned that there is a delay in lab data entry of positive COVID cases, especially rapid antigen results, statewide.
Essex County numbers have risen substantially, the 7 day Average Positive Count was 25 for the beginning of October, as of today the 7 day Average Positive Count is at 187.
State aggregate data resources:
https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/ncov.shtml Click under “daily case summary updates.”
https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/covid2019_dashboard.shtml Click the Demographics tab.
For COVID-19 questions, please call 2-1-1 or our Public Health Division at (973) 762-8120 or visit the Maplewood COVID-19 website: https://www.twp.maplewood.nj.us/covid19.
ELECTION
As of Oct. 26th, 10,303 BALLOT HAVE BEEN CAST in Maplewood.
Overall, 196,478 Ballots have been received in Essex County with 72% via the Secure Ballot Boxes. Haven’t voted yet? Please mail or drop your ballot in our Secure ballot box located at 1618 Springfield Ave today!
YOUR VOTE IS YOUR VOICE.
Again, here are a few key points:
Election conducted primarily through vote-by-mail ballots.
Ballots must be returned by Nov. 3rd, either by mail (postmarked by 11/03), by depositing it in a local secure ballot drop box (by 8 p.m. on 11/03), or by handing it directly to a poll worker at a polling place on Nov. 3rd (signature required).
All ballots sent are real ballots. Sample ballots can be viewed at essexclerk.com.
If the County rejects a ballot, a letter will be sent to the voter stating the reason and the voter will be given an opportunity to fix the defect.
Ballots will be able to be tracked at essexclerk.com (name required) and elections.nj.gov(voter ID required).
Voting at a polling location will be by a paper provisional ballot.
All individuals with disabilities will have access to an ADA-conforming voting machine.
US CENSUS
Thank You THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!
According to 2020CENSUS.GOV, our final 2020 town response rate was 78.7% which beat our final 2010 response rate of 78.2% 6 tract responses rates ranging from 92.3% to 69.9%. Congrats to South Orange for a town wide response rate of 79.6%. The county final response rate was 62.5% and the state was 69.5%
Auxiliary Police Volunteer Program
Last week the Township Committee by a vote of 3-1-1 voted to disarm our Auxiliary Police Volunteer Program and deactivate the program until we can rewrite our Standard Operating Procedures/training program that decouples any need for the use of a firearm. Again I want to thank our Auxiliary Police volunteers for their years of service and tireless dedication to date to our community, it is greatly appreciated.
As part of the process toward rewriting our Standard Operating Procedures/training program, this week I will be sitting down with our Police Chief and Town Administrator. I have great confidence in the current leadership of our police department led by Chief Deval, Deputy Chief Sally, and Captain Malloy to continue keeping our community safe.
As we continue to move forward, let's not fall victim to an “us vs. them” mindset. This mindset is not community-focused and it's counterproductive. As a community, we must be willing to have tough conversations respectfully so that we can continue to grow in community and in fellowship together.
Mayor Frank
galileo said:
Anything about the usual flu shot? I remember they were given about this time last year.
Last I heard, flu vaccine was on back order. Drive through flu shots expected to be administered in early November. This is NOT the senior strength dose.
November 10, 2020 - An update from Mayor McGehee regarding COVID-19
Good Evening,
Almost 8 months ago in March, we declared a state of emergency in the Township of Maplewood. Eight weeks later on May 9th, I communicated that we were entering the next phase of the pandemic and moving away from the mitigation stage to the reopening stage of our community but I also mentioned that we were not out of the woods yet by any stretch.
Unfortunately, based on our recent numbers, we are moving back into a mitigation stage.
Here are the Maplewood Public Health Division numbers:
Monthly Totals:
August: 17
September: 16
October: 44
November to date (11/10): 45.
November Numbers:
Nov. 1st: +3 - Age range: 21 to 50
Nov. 2nd: +3 - Age range: 43 to 47
Nov. 3rd: +5 - Age range: 25 to 35
Nov. 4th: +4 - Age range: 8 to 60
Nov. 5th: +3 - Age range: 20 to 65
Nov. 6th: +5 - Age range: 43 to 65
Nov. 9th: +13 - Age range: 20 to 73
Nov. 10th: +9 - Age range: 1 to 82 (yes, a 1 yo)
Total Cases: 458
New cases age range: 1 to 82
Total recovered cases: 314
Also, today Essex County reported 689 new cases. This is their highest daily number ever recorded.
COVID-19 resources:
Maplewood COVID-19 website: https://www.twp.maplewood.nj.us/covid19
General COVID-19 Questions: 2-1-1 or 1-800-962-1253 (24/7)
Public Health Division: (973) 762-8120
The Health Division works to obtain the recent contact history for all cases, including contacting anyone who has potentially been exposed.
NJ Statewide confirmed cases: 260,430
Essex County confirmed cases: 29,091.
For State aggregate data on hospitalizations, age, gender, and race: https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/ncov.shtml. click under “daily case summary updates.”
https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/covid2019_dashboard.shtml Click the Demographics tab.
IMPORTANT: If you receive a positive test result and have not heard from the Maplewood Public Health Division, please contact us at (973) 762-8120 so that we can advise you on isolation, quarantine and contact tracing. Unfortunately we have learned that there is a delay in lab data entry of positive COVID cases, especially rapid antigen results, statewide.
All activities have a certain level of risk but keeping your gatherings small in the coming weeks and especially this holiday season is key. Here are a few tips from the Maplewood Public Health Division:
Attempt to keep your gatherings to immediate household members and try to avoid travel or visiting those who are immunocompromised.
If you are having any type of indoor gathering, we encourage people to wear face coverings. Unfortunately, many of our cases can be traced back to small indoor gatherings where masks were not worn.
Keep your number of interactions as well as the number of people at a gathering low.
Space out your interactions with different people.
Do not go anywhere if you're sick, and do not dismiss it as a cold or allergies, especially if you are in a household where someone is actively quarantining due to exposure to a positive covid case. Most of our cases are among people who were in direct close contact with a positive case.
If you have come in direct close contact with a positive case, PLEASE complete the 14 day quarantine, even if you tested negative and feel fine. Several new cases have shown symptoms later - Day 8 to10 - of their quarantine/ potential incubation period.
We cannot stress enough that all of our residents take every precaution against the virus
TESTING
Please check out www.essexcovid.org to register for a test
Or Maplewood’s COVID-19 website: https://www.twp.maplewood.nj.us/covid19 for a list of testing locations.
NEXT STEPS
Our Township’s Office of Emergency Management team met this afternoon to assess the Governor’s latest Executive Order No. 194 (which includes new COVID-19 mitigation measures) and how this impacts our community. The Governor communicated these new limitations based on the significant increases all over the county and the state. In the coming days, we will provide a comprehensive communication for all businesses within the Township to provide direction and assistance with addressing Executive Order 194. Please stay tuned.
Mayor Frank
Message From Mayor McGehee: KINGS and our Small Businesses, Covid, The Vaccine and Our Community
KINGS and our Small Businesses, Covid, The Vaccine and Our Community
Good Morning,
As many of you know by now Kings Food Markets, which first opened a branch in Maplewood Village in 1942, has ceased operations as a result of parent company KB Holdings going into voluntary chapter 11 bankruptcy in August of this year.
The Township was saddened to have been informed of the closure. As a longtime patron who has been in the store countless times for a multitude of reasons from being in a pinch for lunch snacks in the morning to treating myself and family with cookies and a pint of ice cream after getting off the New Jersey Transit on a Friday evening - it is truly sad.
We have been collaborating and that effort will continue with the Kings corporate team, the asset management firm which is managing the property in addition with brokers, real estate professionals as well as industry specialists to entice the interest, convene meetings, and facilitate conversations with grocery store companies and businesses based in the region and across the country. Although we are striving to find a neighborhood grocery business that would become part of the new chapter of our historic village, the location is a private property and we do not have complete control over the future tenant and therefore cannot make any promises that a grocery store will be the next occupant. In addition, the next phase for the space will not occur overnight, it will take time.
We also recognize that several businesses throughout our Township have been impacted by Covid.
But we can do our part by supporting and continuing to support our businesses that make Maplewood such a vibrant place to live. Make the difference for your community and shop local this holiday season on Springfield Ave https://www.springfieldavenue.com/, Maplewood Village http://maplewoodvillagenj.com/ including on Dunnell, Irvington Ave., and Ridgewood row https://www.facebook.com/ridgewood.row/ in the months to come by buying gift cards, shopping online and promoting your favorite businesses to friends and family. #shopsomalocal
Covid
Covid is very much present in the Maplewood community. Our Maplewood Public Health Division numbers are evidence of that:
Monthly Totals:
August: 17
September: 16
October: 44
November: 163
December: 31 (to date)
Total Cases: 611
Testing:
Please check out www.essexcovid.org to register for a test
Or visit Maplewood’s COVID-19 website: https://www.twp.maplewood.nj.us/covid19 for a list of testing locations.
Resources:
Maplewood COVID-19 website: https://www.twp.maplewood.nj.us/covid19.
General COVID-19 Questions: 2-1-1 or 1-800-962-1253 (24/7)
Public Health Division: (973) 762-8120.
Webinar: Ask an Expert, COVID-19 Town Hall and Q&A
State aggregate data: https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/ncov.shtml. click under “daily case summary updates.”
State aggregate data: https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/covid2019_dashboard.shtml Click the Demographics tab.
Important:
If you receive a positive test result and have not heard from the Maplewood Public Health Division, please contact us at (973) 762-8120 so that we can advise you on isolation, quarantine and contact tracing. The Health Division works to obtain the recent contact history for all cases, including contacting anyone who has potentially been exposed and unfortunately we learned that there is a delay in lab data entry of positive COVID cases, especially rapid antigen results, statewide.
Activities:
All activities have a certain level of risk. Here are a few tips from the Maplewood Public Health Division:
Attempt to keep your gatherings to immediate household members and try to avoid visiting those who are immunocompromised.
If you are having any type of indoor gathering, we encourage people to wear face coverings. Again unfortunately, many of our cases can be traced back to small indoor gatherings where masks were not worn.
Keep your number of interactions as well as the number of people at a gathering low.
Space out your interactions with different people.
Do not go anywhere if you're sick, and do not dismiss it as a cold or allergies, especially if you are in a household where someone is actively quarantining due to exposure to a positive covid case. Most of our cases are among people who were in direct close contact with a positive case.
If you have come in direct close contact with a positive case, PLEASE complete the 14 day quarantine, even if you tested negative and feel fine. Several new cases have shown symptoms later - Day 8 to10 - of their quarantine/ potential incubation period.
Vaccine:
We are collaborating with the Essex County Office of Emergency Management and Division of Community Health on our COVID-19 vaccination program. The county is looking to start testing in early January and once the vaccination commences, they will take place 6 days a week, hours TBD. Our collaborative efforts will include coordinating various parts of the program with South Orange. As we learn more, iron out the final details with the county, and continue to meet in the days and weeks ahead, we will send out additional communications to keep you up to speed.
For those who celebrate, I would like to wish you and your families a safe and Happy Hanukkah season starting Thursday evening and happy holidays to all.
As always, please be safe
Mayor Frank
December 24, 2020 - Township and COVID update from Mayor McGehee
Good Afternoon,
As we experience 2020 coming to a close, no one can argue that this year has been very challenging for every person in our community. That said, it has been an honor to serve our community and I want to thank my colleagues andour amazing administration, department heads and staff for all their efforts. Although we change the calendar, the work continues.
COVID-19 update
Although the vaccination is here and the county will begin Phase 1A vaccinating of healthcare workers (defined as any paid or unpaid person working or volunteering in a healthcare setting who may have direct or indirect contact with infectious persons or material) this Saturday and the week of December 28, we are not out of the woods by any stretch of our imagination.
Yesterday, Maplewood’s confirmed cases broke the 700 person threshold. We are currently at 712 cases. If you factor in when we first announced our state of emergency the night of March 12th, that is a daily average of 2.5 confirmed cases a day.
However, in December alone we have had 124 confirmed cases to date, which amounts to 17 percent of our overall cases since we started to collect the data in late March. Nearly 1/5 of all our cases are in the last 24 days. Cases are spiking, so here are the actions that you can take to help curb the recent spike:
- Avoid any type of indoor gatherings.If you do engage in any type of indoor gathering, wear face coverings.
- Keep all types of gatherings to immediate household members and try to avoid visiting those who are immunocompromised.
- Keep your number of interactions and the number of people at any gathering as low as possible. Attempt to space out your interactions with different people.
- Do not go anywhere if you're sick, and do not dismiss it as a cold or allergies.
- Wear your face coverings and wash your hands frequently.
Testing:
Please check out www.essexcovid.org to register for a test
Or visit Maplewood’s COVID-19 website: https://www.twp.maplewood.nj.us/covid19 for a list of testing locations.
Resources:
- Maplewood COVID-19 website: https://www.twp.maplewood.nj.us/covid19.
- General COVID-19 Questions: 2-1-1 or 1-800-962-1253 (24/7)
- Public Health Division: (973) 762-8120
- Webinar: Ask an Expert, COVID-19 Town Hall and Q&A https://m.youtube.com/watch?fbclid=IwAR1sHIf1dwxvcxIfbgARqPYbWbMhpOTZftW8OjvImBex1mLzNIjTtK51ZmU&feature=youtu.be&v=6Iy2ZH2O23s
Volunteering - It takes a Township and a Village
We created a robust team to align our communications, public safety, transportation and logistics, safety, and volunteer recruitment efforts. We also worked with our sister municipality South Orange on our overarching vaccination plan to help address questions regarding the vaccination program which will occur at the former Sears department store at the Livingston Mall.
The Vaccine Plan overview is located at www.twp.maplewood.nj.us/vaccine and includes key information including the type of vaccine, its availability to you based on the phased rollout, and how the vaccine works.
One of the most critical metrics of success for our program will be our ability to get over 70 percent of our residents vaccinated by the end of June 2021. I plan to take the vaccine as soon as it’s available to me and I urge all eligible residents to do the same.
Another critical metric of success for our program will be our ability as a community to volunteer and serve. The County has requested Administration/Clerical and Vaccine Administrator Volunteers (Healthcare professionals).
Although we have over 550 volunteers from both municipalities to date, we need more. Our vaccination center will be active for approximately 162 days, 6 days a week and serving from 250 to eventually 1,000 citizens a day. We still need a substantial number of residents to volunteer to be pre-screeners, line attendants, guides and hosts.
Please join our ranks and serve your greater community by filling out the volunteer application today: https://forms.gle/Tf4cFoeF2pr4vVHm7
Phase 1A Vaccinations
As previously mentioned, starting this Saturday, healthcare workers will be eligible to get vaccinated. The vaccine will be administered by appointment only. If you are a healthcare worker please make an appointment by visiting www.EssexCOVID.org or calling 973-877-8456.
Local Businesses
Our work continues to find a new occupant for the former Kings property as well as our beloved movie theater. We are encouraged by the amount of interest both locally and regionally regarding the spaces and we will keep the community informed.
In the interim, please continue to do your part by supporting our local businesses (especially today for those who celebrate Christmas and wait to the last second to buy a gift). Please patronize Springfield Ave https://www.springfieldavenue.com/, Maplewood Village http://maplewoodvillagenj.com/ and RidgewoodRow https://www.facebook.com/ridgewood.row/ #shopsomalocal
New Township Administrator Search
Our efforts to find a new full time administrator are on schedule and the Township will be interviewing potential candidates in the coming weeks. Please stay tuned. I want to recognize and thank our interim Administrator, Gregg Schuster, for stepping in and stepping up to assist with leading our day to day Township operations.
The Stormfront
A storm is expected this evening bringing heavy rain with a potential accumulation of 2 inches of rain. Combined with the melting snow, this could lead to minor flooding. Strong 25-35 mph winds and damaging 50-60 mph wind gusts from the Southeast are also expected, leading to the potential for tree damage and power outages. Please prepare accordingly in regards to your electronic devices.
Caring and Community
This year we have seen the true power of service in our community. So many people from all walks of life have done their part to help others in need during this pandemic. At one point during this year I was recognizing some of those organizations and people, calling them MAPSO heroes.
From FLAG (Front Line Appreciation Group) of South Orange and Maplewood, which at one point was sending nearly 1300 meals to Newark Beth Israel, University Hospital, St. Michael's, East Orange General, and the V.A. while raising tens of thousands of dollars for both Maplewood and South Orange restaurants, to MEND’s Food pantries that serve hundreds of people/families on Saturdays from Maplewood, South Orange, and Essex county.
From Jake Ezzo and the SOMA NJ 3D Printer Alliance Assembly Squad who assembled and delivered tens of thousands face shields to frontline healthcare workers and first responders all over Essex County, to the SOMA Sewing Volunteer team, 500+ members lead by Jean Ng-Gilio, Tina Kelley, Maria Sensenich, and Alba A La Mode that made and donated masks to healthcare professionals, first responders or anyone in need of a mask.
From the launch of a Virtual Tip Jar campaign that supported service industry employees who were directly affected by the COVID-19 shelter-in-place mandate to the many other programs, acts of volunteerism and contributions made this year by our community to help us during one of our greatest times of need, thank you again.
Stay safe and Happy Holidays
Mayor Frank
January 26, 20201 - Update From Mayor McGehee
Good Evening,
COVID-19 update
As of yesterday, Maplewood has 917 confirmed cases. That is 205 new cases in 34 days and a daily average of 6 confirmed cases a day. Regarding the breakout of the age of our cases, we are seeing numbers all over the board. According to our Essex County COVID-19 breakout, as of last week, 9.2% of all positive cases were 17 or younger. Our age range from yesterday's Maplewood numbers ranged from 1 to 86. This evening was 26 to 75.
With cases on the rise, please do your part to embrace the following behaviors:
Avoid indoor gatherings with those who are outside of your immediate household to the extent possible. If you do engage in any type of indoor gathering, wear face coverings and social distance.
Do not visit those who are immunocompromised.
Keep your number of interactions and the number of people at any gathering as low as possible.
Limit your interactions with people outside of your immediate household.
Do not go anywhere if you're sick, and do not dismiss it as a cold or allergies.
Wear your face coverings and wash your hands frequently.
Testing:
Please visit Maplewood’s COVID-19 website: https://www.twp.maplewood.nj.us/covid19 for a list of testing locations or go to www.essexcovid.org to register for a test.
Resources:
Webinar: Ask an Expert, COVID-19 Town Hall and Q&A
Vaccine Plan overview: www.twp.maplewood.nj.us/vaccine
Get Vaccinated
When you are eligible, it is important that we all get vaccinated. According to The New York Times, the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, currently the only two approved in the U.S., are among the best vaccines ever created, with effectiveness rates of about 95 percent after two doses. As noted: of the 32,000 people who received the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine in a research trial, only one person contracted a severe Covid case.
Please go to www.essexcovid.org to schedule a vaccine appointment. Note: a confirmed vaccination appointment is contingent upon the results of the required COVID-19 Vaccine Survey.
Back to School
That said, the delaying of our school's opening has reached a boiling point of frustration and confusion for our parents and guardians with children enrolled in our school district. I have received hundreds of emails from families in our community recently and please know that I hear you loud and clear. Last week on the Essex County Mayors’ call, I communicated that I think that it is imperative that all teachers get vaccinated as soon as possible to address our teachers' concerns as well as concerns expressed by our district families and broader community. I stated that if we could provide an opportunity to get all of our teachers vaccinated, this would go a long way to getting our children and workforce back into a normalized routine, all in an effort to enhance their learning experience, close the achievement gap including the digital divide and improve our children's mental health. I also expressed this to my contacts in the Governor's Office.
This morning on the Essex County Mayors’ call, Livingston Mayor Klein continued the conversation and suggested a push for the Governor’s Office to work toward getting our teachers vaccinated by leveraging the release of the FDA approved Johnson & Johnson vaccine which is administered in only one dose and does align with the current refrigeration requirements. I agree and after the call I joined Mayor Klein and signed on to a letter to Governor Murphy.
Again, the goal is simple. The safety and well-being of our front line public-facing employees is paramount and this includes our South Orange-Maplewood School District teachers and administrative staff.
New Township Administrator Search
Our efforts to find a new full time administrator are on schedule and the Township looks to make an official announcement in the coming weeks. Please stay tuned.
Thank you for your service.
To all of the residents from Maplewood and South Orange who have volunteered or have signed up to volunteer at one of the Essex County vaccination sites, I want to say thank you. Your efforts to serve our greater community speaks volumes to who we are. Thanks again for rolling up your sleeves and for making a difference.
Together we will
Finally on a personal note, I know that these are trying and difficult times. The inability to work, play, go to school and do the things that many of us were used to doing is beyond frustrating for all of us.
But we must hang in there and continue to put our best foot forward with compassion, empathy and kindness for the greater good of our community and our personal wellbeing. We will get to the other side of this pandemic and will emerge even stronger and more resilient.
In solidarity
Mayor Frank
Our mayor wants teachers to be vaccinated. No problem there. But what about the kids that will be put into unsafe environments: schools with inadequate ventilation students passing each other in crowded halls and so forth.
We all want things to return to the way things were. But this should not happen until it can be done in the safest manner possible,
February 11, 2021 - COVID-19 Update from Mayor McGehee
COVID-19 update
Earlier this week Maplewood hit a milestone which we're not proud to communicate. We have now reached over 1,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases. That’s essentially one out of every twenty-five residents or 4%. As of today, Maplewood has 1,023 confirmed cases with the age of our latest cases ranging from 3 to 77.
But there is good news. The numbers of cases in general are on the decline and as of today, over 1.14 Million New Jersey citizens have been vaccinated with 263K (24%) already receiving both doses, keeping us on target to hit the 70% threshold for mass immunity by late June/end of Q2. Also, an increased vaccine supply is slated for Essex County, which should result in more vaccination appointments and bringing us closer to the next cohort opening up.
Help us spread the word
Our Black and LatinX Americans populations which have been heavily impacted are underrepresented. To date, only 5% of those vaccinated are Black Americans and 4% LatinX at the state aggregate level. As a result and in collaboration with the county and state, we are working with places of worship to either become vaccination sites in the future or spread the word where people can go. In addition, there is a push to get more vaccines to federally qualified health centers.
Getting Vaccinated
Please go to www.essexcovid.org to schedule a vaccine appointment. Note: a confirmed vaccination appointment is contingent upon the results of the required COVID-19 Vaccine Survey.
Also, starting tomorrow (Friday), select CVS and Rite Aids will be able to give vaccinations. To find available sites, please go to: https://covid19.nj.gov/pages/covid-19-vaccine-locations-for-eligible-rec...
Finally, read the Maplewood Vaccine Plan overview here: www.twp.maplewood.nj.us/vaccine
Volunteering at Vaccination sites
If you have registered to volunteer - Thank you! The county has received over 1,300 volunteer registrations and their staff are reaching out as needed at the five county vaccination sites. If you have not been called to serve yet, please be patient; with more vaccinations to come, your service will be needed.
Fighting Covid
Our fight is not over yet. Please be mindful and diligent by exercising the following precautions:
Avoid indoor gatherings with those who are outside of your immediate household to the extent possible. If you do engage in any type of indoor gathering, wear face coverings and social distance.
Do not visit those who are immunocompromised.
Keep your number of interactions and the number of people at any gathering as low as possible.
Limit your interactions with people outside of your immediate household.
Do not go anywhere if you're sick, and do not dismiss it as a cold or allergies.
Wear your face coverings and wash your hands frequently.
Testing:
Please visit Maplewood’s COVID-19 website: https://www.twp.maplewood.nj.us/covid19 for a list of testing locations or go to www.essexcovid.org to register for a test.
An Informative Resource:
Webinar: Ask an Expert, COVID-19 Town Hall and Q&A https://m.youtube.com/watch?fbclid=IwAR1sHIf1dwxvcxIfbgARqPYbWbMhpOTZftW...
Maplewood Hero
I want to take a moment to recognize and thank our phenomenal Public Health team, especially Public Health nurse Anna Markavova, who has led the way with keeping track of every case in Maplewood over the last 11 months. From providing information regarding cases to county contact tracers, creating care packages for every household, tracking who was hospitalized and when, and coordinating calls with the rest of our public health team and our volunteer school nurses, Anna has managed an incredible lift.
Thank you Anna for your service to our community.
Mayor Frank
August 24, 2020 - Update from Mayor McGehee
Good Evening,
Last Monday, our Township Committee released a statement regarding complaints of harassment and discrimination at our community pool. I want to reiterate our sincerest apologies to those who endured the alleged misconduct directly and others who were impacted by it indirectly. We take any and all allegations of harassment or discrimination seriously. While the Township cannot comment on specific personnel matters, our investigation is ongoing and initial actions have been taken. We will continue to keep the community updated on this matter as appropriate, including at our next Township Committee meeting on September 1.
NEW EVENT: From Awareness to Action:
TOMORROW August 25 @ 7PM - The Township of Maplewood, The Maplewood Community Board on Police, The Maplewood Memorial Library, and ValleyArts Present What We Can Do to Improve Police & Community Interactions with Black Youth. Please register online @ https://tinyurl.com/whatwecandomplwd.
Pedestrian Safety Measures
When I first ran for office, I communicated a commitment to work with my colleagues, our township administration, and key departments to enhance our pedestrian safety. This included paving our roads, improving our environmentally friendly street lighting by partnering with PSE&G, a robust traffic enforcement program (a new enforcement bureau was created), and enhancing our signage in areas where appropriate.
And to that last point, recently we installed a four way stop sign at the intersection of Harvard and Prospect to address an area that has been problematic for years. We believe this will enhance the safety of our residents including our Tuscan elementary community. We also announced enhancements at Rutgers and Burnett Avenue. These actions are the result of the study performed by NJDOT/NV5 and we have more traffic calming and pedestrian safety improvements outlined in our roadmap.
US Post Office Mail Issue UPDATE
This week I will be meeting with a regional USPS representative and the Postmaster from Union who is also in charge of our Maplewood offices to discuss our concerns and issues with mail delivery in Maplewood. More to come. In the meantime, please do not hesitate to reach out to me with any questions or concerns. Your input is very much welcome.
The Maplewood Public Health Division
Our cumulative and new numbers for Saturday 8/15 through Monday 8/24 are as follows:
Total Deaths: 27
Total Cases: 352 (+4 new cases - ages: 20-94)
Total recovered cases: 278 (+3)
NJ Statewide confirmed cases: 189,494
Essex County confirmed cases: 20,112 (2nd highest county in NJ)
State aggregate data resources:
https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/ncov.shtml Click under “daily case summary updates.”
https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/covid2019_dashboard.shtml Click the Demographics tab.
For COVID-19 questions, please call 2-1-1 or our Public Health Division at (973) 762-8120 or visit the Maplewood COVID-19 website: https://www.twp.maplewood.nj.us/covid19.
Testing
UPDATE - Due to traffic logistics at the parking lot while our pool is open, our 2nd mobile testing site opportunity with Essex County will now be on September 7th between the hours of 4-6pm. That said, the Township is working to bring back a private partner for testing for our residents in September. Want to get tested ASAP? Please check out www.essexcovid.org to register today.
Renters/Small Landlords:
Applications for the Small Landlord Emergency Grant Program that reimburses small property owners for COVID-19 related losses in rent revenue between April and July 2020 closes this Wednesday, AUGUST 26th at 1:00 PM. Additional information, including a sample application, is available here.
US CENSUS
Please go to 2020CENSUS.GOV to complete your Census. Time is running out.