NEW JERSEY STATE
HUNTERDON COUNTY
The Hunterdon County Health Department along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the New Jersey State Department of Health and other local public health officials continue to closely monitor the outbreak of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). Click here for information and resources.
BOROUGH OF HIGH BRIDGE
News & Announcements related to COVID-19
Mayor’s Update: Parks, trails, and lot closures
Update: April 8, 2020
Shortly after sending our PSA email last night we learned the County is closing the Columbia Trail. The Commons lot will be closed, available to permit holders only.
Additionally, after much discussion and in light of the Governor’s Executive Order, we will close the Nassau/Springside trails in an effort to stave off excessive crowding here as other parks and trails around the state close.
By all accounts these next few weeks will be extremely difficult as we reach the peak of this outbreak and none of these decisions have been made lightly. The priority continues to be the health and well-being of everyone in our community.
Signed Mayor Michele I. Lee
Click here for signed Administrative Order 2020-2 Advisement
MAYOR’S UPDATE-COVID-19-VIRTUAL TOWN HALL
Office of the Mayor
Michele Lee
UPDATE – April 7, 2020
44,416 positive tests Statewide, 1,232 COVID-19 related deaths.
Hunterdon County has 236 confirmed positives, with 3 COVID-19 related deaths. Still no word on a testing facility in our County.
As of yesterday April 6th, we have 7 cases here in High Bridge.
My thoughts go out to these families, and all those around NJ and the Country dealing with this illness and/or the loss of loved ones.
Governor Murphy today signed multiple Executive Orders, including extending the public health emergency by another 30 days, closing all schools indefinitely, and the closing all state and county parks. This last order was largely due to groups not following social distancing requirements.
As of this writing, we have not received word from the County on whether they intend to close the Columbia Trail. We will continue monitoring the situation and address issues that may arise from crowds and social distancing both on the trail and in the Commons lot.
Regarding the Borough parks, at least for today, we will keep them open for passive recreational activities. This means you must keep moving! No groups or picnics or congregating of any kind. My ultimate fear is that as parks around the state close, we will see a greater use of our own parks, and the same social distancing violations will occur here. If that does happen, I will not hesitate to close all of them.
It is up to each one of us to make sure that social distancing rules are upheld if we want to keep our parks open. If you see something which violates the rules, call the police for enforcement. They will continue to patrol all public areas.
On a side note, please clean up after your dog!! Whether on the trail, in the park or walking on the street, please bring a baggie with you and keep it with you to properly dispose of. It is really upsetting that we are seeing an increase in poop, plastic bags and disposable gloves on the ground in the public areas of our beautiful Borough. There are many receptacles around… use them!
As a reminder, our Council meeting normally held on Thursday nights will be held tomorrow, Wednesday, at 7:30p via WebEx. Another update will take place at the beginning of the meeting with information provided by both the County and State during our weekly Mayor’s call scheduled for tomorrow.
Agenda can be found on the Borough website, login instructions below:
Meeting link:
https://meetingsamer4.webex.com/meetingsamer4/j.php?MTID=me708bf0b0983f74dce1f1085750eb1c7
Meeting number:
628 230 779
Password:
1212
More ways to join:
Join by video system
Dial 628230779@meetingsamer4.webex.com
You can also dial 173.243.2.68 and enter your meeting number.
Join by phone:
+1-408-418-9388 United States Toll
+1-646-992-2010 United States Toll (New York City)
Access code: 628 230 779
High Bridge Office of Emergency Management Administrative Order No. 2020-1 Advisement – 3/23/20
Consistent with State Executive Orders No. 107 and 108 certain municipal facilities will be closed to the public until further notice as follows:
Playgrounds and building facilities: All playgrounds, gazebos, bathrooms and basketball courts located within the municipal parks and open spaces shall be closed to the public.
Trails: The Nassau trail, and the County’s Commons trail, shall remain open for activities as outlined in Executive Order 107 (Walking, Running, Engaging in outdoor activities with immediate family, caretakers, household members, or romantic partners).
Department of Public Works: Spring brush and leaf pickup is hereby suspended until further notice.
Borough Hall: Borough Hall is closed. All Borough Hall employees are working remotely, except for those who will enter to retrieve mail for processing.
These orders will be strictly enforced in an effort to minimize groups being formed and that the public is adhering to social distancing guidelines.
Notwithstanding the above, all Municipal facilities, parks and open spaces shall remain open for the purposes of outdoor activities in accordance with the Executive Orders of the State. We encourage people to follow all social distancing guidelines and gathering regulations.
This order shall take effect immediately
Signed by: Mayor Michele Lee
Signed by: Joseph Trilone, Emergency Management Coordinator
COVID-19 Business Resource Page
Starting April 3, 2020, small businesses and sole proprietorships can apply for and receive loans to cover their payroll and other certain expenses through existing SBA lenders. To apply you will need to complete the Paycheck Protection Program loan application and submit the application with the required documentation to an approved lender.
Click this link for a brief overview of the program: https://home.treasury.gov/system/files/136/PPP%20–%20Overview.pdf
Click this link for more information about borrowing: https://home.treasury.gov/system/files/136/PPP–Fact-Sheet.pdf
Click here for a link to New Jersey Economic Development Resources
Local COVID-19 Resource Page Available for Hunterdon Companies
Site features links to County/State/Federal Resources, as well as a Current News Feed, Updated Daily
Stay up to date on resources being provided for your business with the new page from Hunterdon County Economic Development and the Hunterdon County Chamber of Commerce!
“REGISTER READY”
If You Are at Higher Risk
Early information out of China, where COVID-19 first started, shows that some people are at higher risk of getting very sick from this illness. This includes:
- Older adults
- People who have serious chronic medical conditions like:
- Heart disease
- Diabetes
- Lung disease
“Register Ready – New Jersey’s Special Needs Registry for Disasters” allows New Jersey residents with disabilities or access and functional needs and their families, friends, caregivers and associates an opportunity to provide information to emergency response agencies so emergency responders can better plan to serve them in a disaster or other emergency.
The information collected is confidential and will not be available to the public. The information will be held securely and only used for emergency response and planning.
Go to: https://www13.state.nj.us/SpecialNeeds/ or dial 211 for assistance registering.
Questions about Novel Coronavirus?
Novel Coronavirus
For more information on what New Jerseyans Can Do: nj.gov/health/coronavirus
Click here for more information from the Hunterdon County Health Department.
Do you have questions?
Find answers to frequently asked questions on our website or call the 24/7 hotline at 1 (800) 222-1222.