Verona Declares State Of Emergency

The following is an update to the initial COVID-19 communication issued yesterday, Friday, March 13, 2020. All measures mentioned in the previous communications remain in effect.

LOCAL STATE OF EMERGENCY
The Verona Office of Emergency Management has declared a local State of Emergency to assist in enforcing these and future measures that may be required for the containment of COVID-19. A copy of the declaration is attached to this update.

MUNICIPAL OFFICES & FACILITIES
Municipal Court
The Supreme Court of New Jersey has announced a two-week suspension of all Municipal Court sessions as part of the efforts to contain the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. This suspension of Municipal Court sessions will begin Monday, March 16 and continue through Friday, March 27, 2020.

Even though sessions are suspended and physical access to the public window is prohibited, the Verona Municipal Court office is open for inquiries via telephone at (973) 857-4772 or via email at [email protected].

Persons who are scheduled to appear before any Municipal Court to contest a traffic or parking ticket, or minor local ordinance violation should not appear and should await notice of a new court date.

Defendants also may continue to make payments for traffic related offenses through the Municipal Court online payment system at www.NJMCDirect.com.

Department of Public Works – Water Department
The NJ Department of Environmental Protection Division of Water Quality currently identifies the threat of the COVID-19 Virus in the public water supply as low. NJ Officials have been diligent in preparing for and preventing the spread of the virus. Please visit the US EPA website to read their statement with regard to drinking water and wastewater.

Recreation & School Facilities

• All artificial turf municipal fields (including Centennial Field, Freedom Field, and Liberty Field) are closed through March 29.
• All school facilities (including but not limited to basketball courts, fields, tennis courts, and playgrounds) are closed through March 29.
• These facilities are constantly monitored by the Verona Police Department.
• All recreational sports, programs, activities, and events are suspended through at least March 29.

MESSAGE FROM THE VERONA EMERGENCY SERVICES

It is the mission of the emergency services in the Township of Verona to promote preparedness and education for all of our residents and guests. In response to current concerns regarding the 2019 Novel Coronavirus, we encourage all residents to abide by the following guidelines if you or a family member show symptoms or have concerns.

One major concern regarding any such virus is overburdening critical healthcare infrastructure, including
hospital emergency rooms. CDC guidelines suggest that many individuals who are exhibiting flu-like symptoms do not need to be seen in an emergency room, and may be at greater risk if they go to a facility where there are other ill individuals.

1. Anyone suffering from acute flu-like symptoms with emergent complications including, but not limited to, significant shortness of breath, chest pain, loss of consciousness, or neurological impairments should call 9-1-1 for ambulance transport.
2. The first step for all other patients is to contact the office of your primary care physician for guidance. Your healthcare provider will advise you if an appointment is necessary, and may be able to contact you by telephone in order to provide interventions. If you have symptoms, please do not “walk-in” to any healthcare provider offices.
3. If your provider cannot provide you with an appointment or remote guidance, please consider using a telemedicine platform. These are available through many insurance companies. Most are available 24/7. RWJBarnabas Health, the operator of St. Barnabas and Clara Maass Medical Centers offers a public access online urgent care, covered by Medicare, which may be accessed at: https://www.rwjbh.org/our-doctors/urgent-care-online/. Hackensack Meridian Health, the operator of Mountainside Hospital and Hackensack University Medical Center offers a public access online urgent care, covered by Medicare, which may benaccessed at: https://www.hackensackumc.org/convenient-care/
4. If you cannot get a consultation or appointment with your healthcare provider or a telemedicine physician, please visit a local urgent care center. If you do so, please call the urgent care provider in advance of your arrival.
5. If urgent care is not available, and you or your family member are not showing any emergent symptoms, please consider driving yourselves to the emergency department in order to limit exposure to emergency services providers. Please call the emergency department to advise them of your impending arrival.

TOWNSHIP OF VERONA
COUNTY OF ESSEX, NEW JERSEY
EMERGENCY PROCLAMATION TO ALL RESIDENTS AND PERSONS WITHIN THE
TOWNSHIP OF VERONA

WHEREAS, pursuant to the powers vested by Chapter 251 of the Laws of 1942 as amended and supplemented, N.J.S.A App. A: 9 30 et seq., the Township of Verona Emergency Management Coordinator is responsible for the development, coordination, and activation of mutual aid emergency management plans and for the activation of such emergency management facilities and services as are available from the resources of the township government in the event of emergencies; and

WHEREAS, whenever, in the opinion of the Emergency Management Coordinator, a disaster has occurred or is imminent in any municipality, the municipal emergency management coordinator of that municipality shall proclaim a state of local disaster emergency within the municipality; and

WHEREAS, the municipal emergency management coordinator, in accordance with regulations promulgated by the State Director of Emergency Management, shall be empowered to issue and enforce such orders as may be necessary to implement and carry out emergency management operations and to protect the health, safety, and resources of the residents of the municipality; and

WHEREAS, Coronavirus disease 2019 (“COVID-19”) is a contagious, and at times fatal, respiratory disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus; and

WHEREAS, COVID-19 is responsible for the 2019 novel coronavirus outbreak, which was first identified in Wuhan, the People’s Republic of China in December 2019 and quickly spread to the Hubei Province and multiple other countries; and

WHEREAS, symptoms of the COVID-19 illness include fever, cough, and shortness of breath, which may appear in as few as two or as long as 14 days after exposure, and can spread from person to person via respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes; and

WHEREAS, on January 30, 2020, the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee of the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a “public health emergency of international concern,” which means “an extraordinary event which is determined to constitute a public health risk to other States through the international spread of disease and to potentially require a coordinated international response,” and thereafter raised its global risk assessment of COVID-19 from “high” to “very high”; and

WHEREAS, on January 31, 2020, the United States Department of Health and Human Services Secretary declared a public health emergency for the United States to aid the nation’s healthcare community in responding to COVID-19; and

WHEREAS, on March 9, 2020, the Governor of the State of New Jersey declared a State of Emergency for the entire State of New Jersey; and

WHEREAS, the CDC expects that additional cases of COVID-19 will be identified in the coming days, including more cases in the United States, and that person-to-person spread is likely to continue to occur; and

WHEREAS, the aforesaid conditions constitute an imminent hazard that threatens and presently endangers the health, safety, and resources of the residents of the Township and may become too large in scope to be handled by the normal local operating services warranting the implementation of the support of the State of New Jersey; and

WHEREAS, the aforesaid laws authorize the promulgation of such orders, rules and regulations as are necessary to meet the various threats caused by the Coronavirus-19 Pandemic; and,

WHEREAS, pursuant to the powers established in Chapter 251 of the Laws of 1942, as amended and supplemented, and codified at N.J.S.A. App. A: 9-30 et seq., I proclaim, with the concurrence of the Township Manager and the Chief of Police, that the entirety of the Township of Verona should and is hereby declared to be in a state of emergency and as such I order that certain measures must be taken in order to maintain the orderly conduct of the Township, and to protect persons and property.

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that I, Joel Martin, Emergency Management Coordinator for the Township of Verona, in the County of Essex, New Jersey, in order to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the people of the Township of Verona do hereby indicate that a State of Emergency exists and will continue to exist in the Township of Verona, and I hereby DECLARE and PROCLAIM that a Public Health Emergency and State of Emergency exist in the
Township of Verona, in the County of Essex, New Jersey; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED in accordance with the aforesaid laws, it is promulgated and declared that the following regulations shall be implemented, in addition to all other laws of the State of New Jersey and the Township of Verona:

1. I authorize and direct the Township and its Departments, Divisions, Boards and Commission to activate all of those elements of their Emergency Operations Plans deemed necessary to safeguard the public security, health, and welfare, and to coordinate the recovery effort from this emergency with all governmental agencies, volunteer organizations, and the private sector.
2. I authorize and empower, in accordance with N.J.S.A. App.A:9-33 et seq. the Verona Police Department, to determine the control and direction of the flow of such vehicular traffic on any municipal or county road, including the right to detour, reroute, or divert any or all traffic and to prevent ingress or egress from any area that, in their discretion, is deemed necessary for the protection of the health, safety, and welfare of the public, and to remove parked or abandoned vehicles from such roadways as conditions
   warrant.
3. This Order shall take effect immediately and shall remain in effect until such time as it is determined by me that an emergency no longer exists.

GIVEN, under my hand and seal this 13th day of March, Two Thousand and Twenty,
JOEL MARTIN, Municipal Emergency Management
Attest: JENNIFER KIERNAN, MunicipaLClerk