What to Know
- Teaneck's mayor called for a citywide self quarantine after the number of cases in the town jumped to 18 Saturday
- At last check, Teaneck had the majority of presumptive positive cases in Bergen County
- New Jersey Gov. Murphy declared a state of emergency earlier in the week to help deploy "every available resource"
The mayor of a town in Bergen County, New Jersey, is calling for a citywide quarantine amid a rise in COVID-19 cases.
Teaneck Mayor Mohammed Hameeduddin said the town of 40,000 needs to take the necessary sacrifices.
"They should stay home. When I say stay home that doesn't mean go out to lunch with your friends across the street. That means no play dates, that means your nuclear family stays with your nuclear family. I'm not visiting my sister, I'm not visiting my parents. That is the best way to stop the spread of this," said Mayor Hameeduddin.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy announced a state increase in the number of positive tests on Saturday afternoon, saying that 19 new cases since Friday had brought the state’s total to 69.
A short time after that, Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco announced the county’s number increased from 25 to 31, with the majority in Teaneck.
"What we are saying is that we are ground zero," Hameeduddin said. "Expect or act as though you're going to infect somebody or somebody is going to infect you."
On Monday, Gov. Murphy declared a state of emergency and public heath emergency after the state had a total of 11 presumptive cases, a dramatic
“The State of New Jersey is committed to deploying every available resource, across all levels of government, to help respond to the spread of COVID-19 and keep our residents informed,” said Governor Murphy. “My Administration will continue to work closely with our federal partners to ensure that local health agencies on the front lines of the state’s response are equipped with the resources needed to further prepare our health care system for a broader spread of COVID-19.”
The declaration also prohibits "excessive price increases" and gives the state the ability to waive some procedures in order to get necessary goods and services expedited.
News
All 75 school districts in Bergen County closed school buildings on March 13, with all schools transitioning to internet and electronic learning, the county executive said. The closure was planned for a minimum of two weeks.
Those students who get free or reduced price meals from the districts will be contracted by the districts, and all extracurricular activities were suspended.
Teaneck's public library also closed its doors until further notice. The library's director said Friday that all programs, events and meeting have been cancelled through the end of March.
