As New Jersey gradually eases restrictions put on businesses during the COIVD-19 pandemic, the Township of North Bergen has put procedures in place to make it easier for restaurants to operate under the new guidelines.

Gov. Phil Murphy signed an executive order permitting outdoor dining with certain health and safety restrictions beginning Monday, June 15.

“Restaurants and bars throughout New Jersey have been immensely cooperative with necessary public health measures that were placed upon them while battling the COVID-19 pandemic,” Murphy said.

“Allowing outdoor dining and the expansion of alcohol-serving areas will allow restaurants and bars to begin welcoming customers back while continuing to comply with necessary social distancing guidance.”

According to the executive order, establishments will be required to follow a number of COVID-19 health and safety protocols issued by the Department of Health, including a limit of eight customers per table, and requirements of at least six feet of distance between parties.

Streamlined process

Per the reopening guidelines, restaurants will be limited to outdoor seating only for the immediate future. To cope with this, North Bergen has simplified and streamlined the application and approval process for outdoor seating at eating establishments.

The application is available online at: http://www.northbergen.org/_Content/pdf/forms/RESTAURANT-TEMPORARY-OUTDOOR-SEATING.pdf

The township is also waiving all application fees for outdoor seating during this emergency.

Mayor Nicholas Sacco and the township administration are working hard to support local businesses and to help them succeed during the ongoing pandemic.

The Township has encouraged residents to patronize local restaurants and other businesses, while observing appropriate health and social distancing protocols.

Other conditions of Murphy’s executive order

For as long as indoor dining is not permitted, food or beverage establishments are required to prohibit smoking in any outdoor areas designated for the consumption of food and or beverages under the executive order.

Municipalities are permitted to use their existing authority to allow food or beverage establishments to expand their footprint to outdoor areas, both within their properties and among municipally-governed areas, including but not limited to sidewalks, streets, or parks.

A special ruling by the New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) will temporarily permit establishments with liquor licenses to expand their licensed premises into outdoor areas that are either contiguous or non-contiguous to their permanently licensed premises.

Establishments interested may apply through the POSSE ABC Online Licensing system, and if approved will be issued a temporary permit effective on June 15 that will run until November 14.

This is part of Phase 2 of the reopening of the state, which also allows for a number of other businesses to resume operations under the new normal.

According to Gov. Murphy, salons and barbershops will be allowed to reopen on June 22. Gyms and fitness clubs will be permitted to reopen soon, though though a date has not yet been set.

Social distancing and masks and cloth face coverings will remain a necessary part of life as reopening continues.

Meanwhile, businesses must continue to operate at a reduced capacity.

For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at disrael@hudsonreporter.com.

The Township of North Bergen is opening three new COVID-19 testing sites where residents can be tested with no out-of-pocket cost, regardless of insurance status.

Mayor Nicholas Sacco and his administration have entered into partnerships with private medical facilities to operate the sites, which will reduce costs for the township and streamline operations.

Combined with sites that already available to North Bergen residents, the township will now offer up to 1,000 tests per day, significantly increasing its testing capacity.

“Our team has been working diligently for weeks to establish these testing sites, and we are confident that we will now be able to ensure that all North Bergen residents have access to free COVID-19 testing,” said Sacco. “Increasing our testing capacity will allow us to proactively identify residents who test positive so they can self-isolate, and also provide peace of mind to those who may have recovered from the illness but were never tested. This will help us reduce the number of new infections and save lives.”

The three new sites will all operate by appointment only and are available to North Bergen residents with proof of residency. Testing began on June 8.

To schedule a test, residents must call or text first to set up a telemedicine appointment to determine the appropriate test based on their symptoms, recent contacts, and other factors. The new sites are downtown, at the waterfront and Uptown.

Free COVID-19 testing

The Downtown Testing Site, a mobile site, is offered in partnership with Diligent Medical Care. It is at the Kennedy School, 1210 11th Street in North Bergen.

To schedule a test, text COVID to: (973) 447-3559. Tests offered are the COVID-19 Nasal Swab and the Serology Antibody Test.

The Waterfront Testing Site is offered in partnership with Hackensack Meridian Palisades Medical Center and is located at 7600 River Road in North Bergen.

To schedule a test call (201) 295-4181 from Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
Tests included are the COVID-19 Nasal Swab and the Serology Antibody Test.

The Uptown Testing Site is offered in partnership with the AM/PM Walk-in Urgent Care Center at 7405 Bergenline Ave. in North Bergen.

To schedule a test call (201) 636-6763, seven days a week from 8 a.m. until 11 p.m. Serology Antibody Test available only.

Expanding testing

Opening the three new testing sites builds on North Bergen’s systematic testing protocol, which has been continually expanding over the last several weeks.

The program began by testing first responders and township employees who interact with the public, followed by residents of the township’s three long term care facilities, and then residents of the North Bergen Housing Authority’s senior buildings. Now the township will expand to the general public.

The testing sites already in operation, open to North Bergen residents, will continue to be available.

The Walmart Testing Site is open at 2100 88th St. in North Bergen. To schedule a test, go to http://myquestcovidtest.com/. Tests offered include a self-administered COVID-19 Nasal Swab. Test capacity is limited.

For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at disrael@hudsonreporter.com.

On June 2, North Bergen Mayor Nicholas Sacco issued a statement regarding the death of George Floyd.

“On behalf of the Board of Commissioners, the North Bergen Police Department and our entire community, I want to express our deepest sympathies to the family of George Floyd and to everyone who is feeling the pain of his death,” Sacco said.

Demonstrations continue across the country in response to police brutality against African Americans, specifically the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police.

Floyd was an unarmed African-American man who was killed in Minneapolis when police officer Derek Chauvin held his knee on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes.

Floyd was later pronounced dead. Chauvin has since been fired and charged with murder and manslaughter.

Largely peaceful protests have taken place across the state from Trenton to Newark. However, in Trenton a police car was set on fire, hours after local officers marched alongside the protesters.

Ingrained in the system

Mayor Sacco said that Floyd’s death was part of the larger issue of institutional racism.

“Mr. Floyd’s murder was a senseless, unnecessary event that never should have happened, and it’s a stark reminder of the work that still must be done across our country to tackle institutional racism,” Sacco said.

Sacco acknowledged that no place is perfect, and North Bergen is no exception. However, he remains proud of North Bergen for how the community has coped in recent times.

“I am prouder than ever right now of the way our diverse community always pulls together in times of crisis and works hard to coexist, embrace our differences and focus on what we all have in common,” Sacco continued. “I take a particular amount of pride in our North Bergen Police Department, which has made extraordinary strides in recent years to become more diverse and to work hard every day to strengthen its relationships with our residents.”

From participating in community events and organizing proactive meetings with residents, to using technology and de-escalation tactics to reduce the use of force, Sacco said the NBPD has become a model of what a modern police department should be.

Now, Sacco said, the only way forward is to do the real work of understanding what got us to this place and creating a new path forward. That will take leadership at all levels, from the federal and state government to local communities, and it will not be simple or easy.

“We can’t let the raw anger that so many justifiably feel right now destroy any chance at progress,” Sacco said. “We need to come together for our country and for our future.”

For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at disrael@hudsonreporter.com.

As Hudson County continues to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic as well as protests against the police killing of George Floyd in Minnesota, things may seem bleak. Yet some will still find a reason to celebrate.

The township of North Bergen announced its ongoing support of Pride Month in June, dedicated to celebrating the LGBTQ+ community.

Mayor Nicholas Sacco and the Township Commissioners continue to strongly support equality and tolerance, striving to ensure that all residents feel welcomed and included without living in fear over whom they choose to love.

June is the month chosen to celebrate pride because it was when the Stonewall riots in 1969 occurred, an event that led to monumental changes in gay rights in America.

Rioting to achieve civil rights progress is now being criticized by many Americans, but in the past, riots were often a tool for change.

Pride Month itself has changed this year as large, in-person gatherings are still prohibited under Gov. Phil Murphy’s executive orders to stop the spread of COVID-19.

While Pride Month is usually celebrated with parades, marches, and activities, this year many celebrations have been cancelled or reconfigured due to the ongoing pandemic.

Serving the LGBT community, digitally

The Hudson Pride Center has partnered with North Bergen for Pride Month events in the past, and continues to deliver an array of services, programs, and activities to meet ongoing needs.

Established in the early 1990s to serve as an advocate and social service provider, the non-profit Hudson Pride Center now offers many of its services remotely.

This includes Zoom sessions for youth, young adults, and seniors. Also available are physical and mental health services, counseling and HIV services, and more.

However, as New Jersey sets it eyes on Phase 2 of the reopening after COVID-19, some events may be rescheduled in-person.

For more information, the community-based organization Hudson Pride Center can be reached at 201-963-4779 or by email at info@hudsonpride.org.

For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at disrael@hudsonreporter.com.

Among the many things impacted by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic are children’s sports and activities. In North Bergen, the township was one of many that cancelled spring sports.

“Unfortunately, in order to ensure the safety of our children and to protect the community at large, the North Bergen Recreation Department was reluctantly forced to cancel the spring season,” according to the township.

As a result, refunds will be processed for anyone who paid for the spring season. North Bergen plans to send refund checks soon to compensate these residents.

Currently, the township is awaiting guidelines from Gov. Phil Murphy on how to proceed with children’s sports for the upcoming seasons.

Fingers crossed for summer

Once the township has determined how the state wishes to proceed regarding student sports, the Recreation Department will begin processing checks for residents who have submitted payment for sports or activities in the spring season.

North Bergen continues to monitor the health situation as well as the governor’s guidelines in hopes of holding some programs over the summer.

As more restrictions are lifted each day, it seems increasingly likely that some form of recreational sports may be permitted in the summer.

Recently, tennis courts have reopened for singles play only across Hudson County, including in James J. Braddock Park in North Bergen.

The tennis courts are open by appointment only, since May 23. Residents are advised that strict rules apply and will be strongly enforced.

Registrations and court reservations must be done by phone no more than two days in advance of the requested play time by calling 201-978-1765. Court reservations can be made daily between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Residents are advised to check the township website and social media regularly for updates on other sports. The township has been offering COVID-19 updates on closures regularly in both English and Spanish.

For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at disrael@hudsonreporter.com.