TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - All public and private schools will be ordered to close down to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, Gov. Phil Murphy said Sunday. Details are scheduled to be announced Monday once a plan is reached with the state Department of Education.
Murphy made the announcement during a Sunday afternoon phone briefing with reporters.
He said more than 210,000 students rely on schools for their food while 259,000 students do not have a home setup to take classes online.
Most of New Jersey schools have already closed or announced they will close Monday.
“Not enough is being done,” Murphy said. “This is something none of us can be cavalier about.”
Murphy later tweeted that everyone needs to practice social distancing, “Even if you are young and feel entirely healthy, you can still spread #COVID19.”
The state received 31 new positive test results, bringing the total virus cases in New Jersey to 98, he added.
He requested that the federal government open an emergency enrollment period to give people the opportunity to get health coverage.
Earlier Sunday, Murphy said officials are considering a statewide curfew. Hoboken already implemented one - from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. - starting Monday.
Murphy was asked about curfews and also self-quarantine on New York City radio station WBLS after Teaneck Mayor Mohammed Hameeduddin called for a citywide self-quarantine for the Bergen County town hit hard by COVID-19.
Murphy on Saturday night announced the second death in the state from coronavirus, a woman in her 50s who was being cared for at CentraState Medical Center in Monmouth County.
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HOBOKEN CURFEW
Hours after announcing that gyms, health clubs, day cares and movie theaters would join the list of closures in Hoboken, Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla announced the forthcoming curfew and additional restrictions.
The citywide curfew that begins Monday will be in effect from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. and requires all residents to remain in their homes, barring emergencies. People who are required to report to work are exempted.
Restaurants and bars will not be permitted to serve food within their premises. Bars that don’t serve food will be shut down, effective Sunday at 11 a.m. Any establishment that serves food will be allowed to conduct takeout and delivery service.
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COURTS SUSPENSION
The chief justice of New Jersey’s court system announced a two-week suspension of municipal court sessions to mitigate public exposure to the coronavirus.
Chief Justice Stuart Rabner said Saturday that individuals scheduled to appear through March 27 before a municipal court to contest a traffic or parking ticket or for a minor local ordinance violation should await notice of a new court date.
Rabner earlier announced an indefinite suspension in all new jury trials, criminal and civil, in New Jersey due to the coronavirus outbreak.
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DRIVER’S LICENSES AND REGISTRATIONS
State officials announced a two-month extension of expiration dates for driver’s licenses as well as vehicle registrations and inspection stickers.
Murphy and Sue Fulton, chief administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, said the extensions apply to driver licenses expiring in March, April, and May; to registrations expiring in March, April, and May; and for inspection stickers expiring in March, April, and May.
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CASES
For most people, the virus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.
The vast majority of people recover. According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover.
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The Associated Press receives support for health and science coverage from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak.
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