December 1, 2020
COVID UPDATE #47

Dear Resident,

Today, Governor Murphy signed Executive Order 204, pausing indoor practices for youth and adult sports and lowering limits on outdoor gatherings. Please take a moment to review the following:

Indoor and Youth and Adult Sports – Effective Saturday, December 5 at 6am through Saturday, January 2, 2021, all indoor sports practices and competitions including group, competitive and/or organized sporting activities are prohibited. Collegiate and professional sports are not impacted.  Private fitness classes, lessons, trainings at gyms, studios, etc. can continue. 

Outdoor Gatherings – Effective Monday, December 7 at 6:00am, the limit on outdoor gatherings is lowered from 150 people to 25. 

Wedding ceremonies, funerals, memorial services, and religious and political activities are not subject to the outdoor gatherings limit. All other types of gatherings, such as a high school football game or an outdoor concert, will be limited to 25 individuals.  Athletes, coaches, referees and other individuals necessary for a professional or collegiate sports competition are not counted towards the 25-person limit.  

For other adult and youth sports occurring outdoors, the number of individuals necessary for a game or practice can exceed the 25-person limit, but only if no individuals who are not necessary for the event, such as spectators, are present.

Outdoor gatherings continue to be subject to strict social distancing restrictions, including the requirement to wear masks whenever it is not possible to social distance.

Addiction Support Groups - Indoor meetings of addiction groups, such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, are not limited to 10 individuals, but will instead be limited to 25 percent of the capacity of the room in which they take place, up to a maximum of 150 individuals. 

Executive Order 204 can be read in its entirety HERE.

Health Insurance Open Enrollment – Enroll though Get Covered NJ, the official state health insurance marketplace.  If you lost employer coverage or income, you may be able to enroll now and financial assistance may be available.  For more, visit the website https://www.nj.gov/getcoverednj/ 

COVID-19 Testing and Stats
As of today:

  • New Jersey reported 4,661 new positive cases, 341,910 cumulative total cases, 90 new confirmed deaths and 15,254 total deaths. 
  • Monmouth County reported 309 new positive cases today, 20,657 total cumulative cases, and 811 confirmed deaths. 
  • Marlboro Township reports 26 new cases today and a cumulative total of 1,179 cases. Of the cumulative cases, 884 have been cleared, meaning that 295 are currently active/positive. This is an increase of 99 cumulative cases and 45 active cases detailed in the November 24 Weekend Update.

Testing Locations: Monmouth County offers free COVID-19 testing for County residents.  You do not have to be symptomatic and no appointment is needed. 
The nearest County testing location is located in Freehold Boro:

  • Freehold Boro Fire Department (Main Bldg. 1 West Main Street)
    • Thursday, December 3 from 4pm-7pm
    • Tuesday, December 15 from 9am – noon
    • Wednesday, December 23 from 4pm- 7pm
  • Additional testing locations and dates/times throughout the County can be viewed on the flyer HERE.  Locations/times are added often.  Visit the website www.visitmonmouth.com for the most up-to-date information. To expedite service, please complete the requisition form ahead of testing. 
  • Testing Locations throughout the State: Click HERE

Stay Informed: COVID Alert NJ is New Jersey’s free and secure mobile app that anonymously alerts users if they have been in close contact with someone who tested positive.  https://covid19.nj.gov/pages/app 

Please wear masks, wash your hands and maintain social distancing.  Stay safe. 
Mayor Jon Hornik