Officials want more information to avoid putting residents at risk
By BILL BARLOW/Special to the Sentinel
PETERSBURG – As emergency measures drag on through the summer and COVID-19 seems unlikely to disappear anytime soon, members of the Upper Township Committee worked on plans for special events and sports in September.
The local governing body is not alone, with every level of government in the country and around the world continuing to wrestle with the best way to deal with the pandemic.
Committeeman Hobie Young pushed for a decision on both the planned fall festival proposed for Sept. 9 and for the youth sports schedule.
“We’re coming up pretty close on that,” he said at the July 27 committee meeting.
Young said the township needs time to organize the fall event, and to contact potential vendors. Mayor Rich Palombo, who has sounded a cautious note on events throughout the summer, said the township is in a similar position to where things stood in June as planned fireworks approached.
Gov. Phil Murphy’s emergency orders still do not allow any gatherings of more than 500 people outside. The township ultimately decided to delay the fireworks.
“We know there’s going to be more than 500 people there,” Palombo said.
The end-of-summer event was proposed as an alternative to Independence Day fireworks, in hopes that the pandemic would have eased by that time. But while there have been some reductions in the numbers in New Jersey, once among the worst states for the virus in the country, Palombo said he is unwilling to say yes to an event until the situation changes.
If pushed for a decision that night, he said, he would have to say no.
“No one would like to have it more,” he said. “It would be nice to have something for the children and something for everybody to look forward to, but until we get some indication that there’s going to be some relief from that number, I’m kind of leery to go forward.”
Members planned to make a decision on Aug. 10, the next scheduled meeting.
Committeeman Edward Barr said the township should look to the Upper Township school district. As officials announced at a recent Board of Education meeting, the district has worked on plans for the 2020-21 school year with the assumption that classes would resume in person, but warned that much could change as the rates of infection change in New Jersey.
Young expressed concern about vendors leaving if there is no commitment to having the event. Palombo said the last thing he wants is for people to get infected because the township moved forward with an event.
“States are getting shut down right and left,” Committeeman Curtis Corson said. The township does not want to sponsor an event when others are canceled, which may lead to many people attending.
“We don’t want to be the only game in town,” he said.
“It’s just that the virus is really unpredictable,” Palombo said.
Young also wants a decision soon on the fall youth sports schedule. He said players may decide to sign up with other leagues, and suggested a delayed season would be unfair to the players.
“We’re not stopping anybody from doing anything,” he said. “For them to lose a year is a really big deal.”
Here, too, Young pushed for answers while Palombo said there just is not enough information to responsibly make a final decision.
“Where do we stand? They’re scheduled to start next week,” he said.
Palombo said everyone wants to see games resume, but added that he will not put children at risk. He pointed to professional leagues, who have not been able to keep players from contracting the coronavirus.
Corson added that the games are not only a sporting event, they are also community events, with parents attending and mingling. He said he has never seen a game with fewer than 500 people, even in the rain.
Games take place at Caldwell Park, Palombo pointed out, where there is no gate where attendance can be limited.
“At least we have to put that goodwill effort in to make sure we comply as much as we can,” he said. After that, it will be parents’ responsibility.
“But we’re not going to sanction a program where we have any inkling that it’s going beyond the capacity,” Palombo responded.
The 500 count includes everyone on the field, including the teams and the cheerleading squads, as well as parents, coaches and spectators, Palombo said.
“I think wrestling would be the last thing that you get going again,” Committeeman John Coggins said.
“There’s no easy and simple solution to this,” Palombo said. New Jersey seems relatively safe and Cape May County is in good shape relative to other counties around the state, he said, but the situation can change quickly. He said there is an explosion of cases in the South and Midwest, with some states that had no cases now seeing the virus out of control.
“Most of them had protesters that had the high numbers,” Young said. “But we won’t even go there.”
At the same meeting, committee approved a new policy under which employees who travel to states that are under official travel warnings would be obliged to use their accumulated sick days and vacation time for the required two-week quarantine when they return.
Many employees are accumulating vacation time this summer, as few want to travel during the pandemic, Palombo reported earlier in the meeting. Someone taking a week off could end up unavailable for a total of three weeks, he said.
As of July 28, 36 states met New Jersey’s criteria for travel restrictions, including Delaware and Maryland. Individuals coming to New Jersey are asked to self-quarantine after visiting those states.
“If there’s an unfortunate situation with a family member in another state, we’ll deal with that on a case-by-case basis,” Palombo said. “We are certainly not going to be unreasonable about it.”
ShopRite COVID case
handling praised
At the same meeting, speaking on behalf of the Upper Township Business Association, Blanche Adams said local businesses were all happy to comply with the emergency measures, saying they are needed to keep customers and employees safe.
“It’s just good business,” she said.
She also praised how the Marmora ShopRite handled its announcement that an employee had tested positive for COVID-19.
An announcement was made on Facebook July 22.
“The impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the community of Marmora has been felt by us all. Many of us know a friend, family member or co-worker who has been affected. The same holds true at ShopRite of Marmora, where a member of our work family – the associates who provide essential services every day – has reported a confirmed case of COVID-19,” reads the announcement. Company officials said the store has implemented the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommended protocols.