By Allison Perrine
MONMOUTH COUNTY – Now that parks and golf courses have reopened in Monmouth County, the freeholders are looking at what areas might be next in line for loosening restrictions.
According to Freeholder Director Thomas A. Arnone, that includes opening off-leash dog areas this week, he said May 7 during a press conference.
“We are grateful to the park rangers and sheriff’s officers for monitoring the parks and to all of the residents who practiced social distancing while visiting the parks and golf courses,” said Arnone. “People are doing the right thing in Monmouth and it’s showing.”
As testing capabilities continue to expand in New Jersey and the county, the COVID-19 testing site at Holmdel’s PNC Bank Arts Center, established by FEMA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, opened to all state residents this week not just persons with virus-related symptoms. The site is now open Mondays and Wednesdays to all residents and Saturdays to health care workers and first responders only.
“Testing is one of our key principles for getting New Jersey firmly on the road back to restart and recovery. By building out our testing capacity, we can instill confidence among our residents that we are in front of the response and winning the fight against COVID-19,” said Gov. Phil Murphy in a press conference May 8, when he announced that the testing site would expand its services.
Despite progress being made in flattening the curve in Monmouth County, Arnone warned that it doesn’t mean people can let their guard down. With summer approaching and the shore area a hot-spot for tourism, Arnone said the county has been working with mayors from Sea Bright to Manasquan to develop a “consistent message,” so no town is negatively impacted by what its neighbors are doing.
“I would like to see the beaches open by Memorial Day Weekend,” the freeholder director said. He hopes to have more guidance from the state on the reopening of the beaches soon.
Looking to provide further safety instructions for residents in need, Freeholder Deputy Director Sue Kiley talked about Monmouth ACTS’ latest efforts to address human services. According to Kiley, officials have established an early childhood success hub geared toward young families, young mothers and pregnant women. There has been an increasing demand for baby supplies as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, including diapers, baby wipes and more. Support groups are also being assembled to help these young moms.
Additionally, officials have established a financial recovery initiative to help provide resources and guidance for Monmouth County residents and small businesses. According to Kiley, this will help the county broadly respond to COVID-19 impacts in the local area, focusing on “short and long-term financial recovery” for those groups.
Sen. Vin Gopal (D-11), a small business owner in Tinton Falls, said he understands that many other small businesses are struggling to make ends meet, “let alone keep their doors open.” That’s why he and his team are helping residents of the 11th district find what legislation has been passed to address the pandemic, through LD11Recovery.com.
“We want LD11Recovery.com to be your one-stop shop for every state, federal, and local support program available in our area,” said Gopal in a statement. “If you’re a local restaurant owner and your kitchen is still open, we want to feature you and to encourage our neighbors to support your efforts as you work to keep your customers fed. If you’re self-employed or an independent contractor, we want to connect you directly to programs that can help, and help walk you through an array of services and applications that can often be difficult to navigate.”
People looking for further guidance on the pandemic can visit the Monmouth County website, visitmonmouth.com, and review its pandemic resource guide. Originally geared toward seniors, the guide has since expanded.
“Within the last week, information has been posted regarding resources including face masks, transportation and additional food resources that deliver and offer meals for residents with dietary restrictions through Take Out in Monmouth,” said Kiley.
For more information about the status of COVID-19 in Monmouth County or to find any of the county’s related resources, go to visitmonmouth.com.
The article originally appeared in the May 14 – 20, 2020 print edition of The Two River Times.
