The Township Administration and the Burlington Township Local Emergency Planning Committee (“LEPC”) have been meeting for the past several weeks to develop a response to mitigate the effect of the Coronavirus on the Burlington Township community. As of this time, there are no known Coronavirus cases in Burlington Township.
If the reports of the potential spread of COVID-19 are proven to be true, it is reasonable to expect that the virus will find its way into our community. The recommendation from OEM is to try to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 through “social distancing”. Social Distancing is a method wherein measures are taken to restrict when and where people may gather to stop or slow the spread of infectious diseases. It is commonly used in fighting the spread of pandemic viruses.
The Administration is developing plans to balance the necessity of implementing social distancing methods with its obligation to carry out the responsibility of delivering services to our residents. This is a fluid process and will evolve as better information is developed and presented. The Township is actively working with our partners with the Burlington Township Fire Department, Endeavour Emergency Squad and the Burlington Township Board of Education, as well as the Burlington County Board of Health, and the Burlington County Office of Emergency Management, the Burlington County Superior Court and the Administrative Offices of the Court.
Based upon the information available at this time, the Burlington Township Administration is taking the following precautions to stop or slow the risk of the spread of COVID-19 in our community:
1. Municipal Offices will remain open. We encourage residents to use alternative methods for paying taxes, water & sewer bills by mailing your payments or paying them on-line. This service can be found on the Township’s website at http://www.twp.burlington.nj.us/content/163/239/default.aspx.
2. All recreational activities (including, but not limited to, baseball, softball, etc.) will be suspended until further notice. The Baseball/Softball opening day ceremonies scheduled for April 4, 2020 are cancelled.
3. All community meetings, including events scheduled at the Burlington Township Municipal Building, including, but not limited to the Community Room and Public Works Room, as well as the Recreation Buildings on Lake Avenue are suspended until further notice.
4. The Burlington Township Municipal Court sessions scheduled for March 17, 2020 & March 19, 2020 are cancelled. The court office will be open. However, if you are paying traffic tickets or fines we encourage you to pay on-line through the NJMCDirect. This service can be found on the Township’s website at http://www.twp.burlington.nj.us/content/163/239/default.aspx.
5. As of this time, the Council meeting scheduled for March 24, 2020 will be held, however the recognition of the championship soccer teams and high school football teams will be rescheduled for a later date. This may be postponed as the date approaches. As is our practice, we encourage residents to send in any complaints/concerns by e-mail or by calling the offices.
The Burlington Township Administration, the Burlington Township LEPC and our community partners will continue to monitor the situation and make the necessary adjustments over the next few weeks.
As our community faces the challenge of mitigating the effects of COVID-19, there are everyday prevention measures that we are all asked to follow:
- Stay home when you are sick.
- If you have a fever, follow the 24-hour rule
- Wash your hands with soap and water
- Cover your cough with a tissue, discard the tissue and wash or sanitize hands
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick
- Avoid touching your nose, mouth or eyes with unwashed hands
Any updates or additional information will be posted on the Burlington Township website.
Brian J. Carlin, Mayor
Diane Flannery, Jodi Botlinger, Dawn Bass, Acting Co-Administrators