LATEST UPDATES
“Hard Dates” on Reopening Coming Soon: On Monday, Governor Murphy said that he may set “hard dates” for when certain parts of the state’s economy can start to begin to reopen. He says he expects to announce these dates by the end of the week. “That (reopening) can’t happen until the state’s capacity for coronavirus testing and contact tracing improves,” said Murphy.
Murphy Creates Advisory Council to Restart Economy: Governor Murphy a statewide council of leaders from government, health care, business and other economic sectors to provide advice on New Jersey’s effort to restart the economy from the coronavirus pandemic. The Governor’s Restart and Recover Advisory Council includes dozens of members who will serve on the nine subcommittees and will work directly with the economic commission that Murphy announced in April. Members of the Governor’s Restart and Recover Advisory Council can be found here.
NJ Weeks Away from Financial Disaster: Governor Phil Murphy said that New Jersey and other states around the country are staring down the barrel of a “fiscal disaster” in response to the coronavirus outbreak unless the federal government send direct aid soon. The governor said the strain in budgets will mean mass layoffs of public workers, including ones who are on the front lines of the state’s response to the virus. “A fiscal disaster is not months away. Hard and unpalatable decisions will be on our doorstep in just a few weeks,” said Murphy.
FDA Clears Rutgers Saliva Test for Home Use: The FDA granted emergency authorization for the first at-home saliva collection kit to test for coronavirus. Last month, the FDA granted permission for the kits to be used at test sites, but now the kit has been approved for home use. The test kit was developed by Rutgers University laboratory, called RUCDR Infinite Biologics, in partnership with Spectrum Solutions and Accurate Diagnostic Labs.
Good Neighbor Spotlight: iStar, the City of Asbury Park’s master waterfront developer is giving out a total of $75,000 in grant funding to local Asbury Park businesses amidst the COVID-19 outbreak. The developer of The Asbury Ocean Club and The Asbury Hotel is selecting 20 small businesses and non-profit organizations to receive the grants. Small businesses and nonprofits are essential to the economic stability of this city and they need our support,” said Brian Cheripka, SVP of land and development for iStar.
Lyft Launches New Health Safety Program: Recently, Lyft recently announced a new set of polices aimed at ramping up efforts to protect both riders and drivers including establishing new health and safety standards for ridesharing. Lyft’s new safety program includes personal health certification and health safety education for both drivers and riders, required face masks for riders and rivers, and the distribution of cleaning supplies and face masks for drivers.
Latest NJ COVID-19 Statistics: The number positive coronavirus test results in New Jersey has increased to a total of 139,945. The number of statewide coronavirus-related deaths is currently 9,310.
COVID-19 RESOURCES
Mental Health Awareness Month: The New Jersey Department of Children and Families have announced that May is Mental Health Awareness Month. For anyone feeling stress, isolation or grief right now, please reach out for help. NJ Mental Health Cares: 1-866-202-4353 @CrisisTextLine text ‘NJ’ to 741741
All NJ residents with questions or concerns about COVID-19 and resources available to them should visit: www.covid19.nj.gov
For more information about NJ business assistance programs and application information, please visit: https://www.sba.gov/page/coronavirus-covid-19-small-business-guidance-loan-resources
CARES Act: The programs and initiatives in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act that was just passed in Congress are intended to assist small business owners with whatever needs they have right now. For more information on the small business owner’s guide to the CARES Act, click here.
Jobs and Assistance in NJ: An online portal is available to provide information to impacted small business owners. The portal includes information on Executive Orders, regulations impacting small businesses and access to financial assistance from the US Small Business Administration (SBA).
Testing Sites: Click here to get updated information and locations of public testing sites.
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