MATAWAN–With schools and businesses closed and the use of social distancing encouraged, Mayor Joseph Altomonte discussed Matawan’s current status admid the coronavirus crisis.
“Right now we are working closely with our Office of Emergency Management and following the governor’s directives. Our offices are closed to the public but the borough is still operational and accessible via phone, email and online,” Altomonte said. “Our priority is the safety of our employees and residents.”
The mayor and the Borough Council, borough administration, and the Office of Emergency Management are closely monitoring the developing situation involving the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a prepared statement.
“We know it’s a challenging time, but we need everyone to do their part and practice social distancing to minimize the impact and keep our community safe and healthy,” Altomonte said.
Upon receiving guidance from federal, state and local health agencies, the Office of Emergency Management has directed that all non-essential meetings of boards, commissions and committees and any activities of local civic and youth organizations normally held at the Matawan Municipal Community Center be suspended until further notice, according to the statement.
Altomonte said so far nothing has been put on hold in terms of the borough’s ongoing projects, such as the Transit-Oriented Development project.
“Protecting the community has been our priority. We hope we don’t incur many delays but everyone is in the same situation so we need to be understanding. We will hold conference call meetings to move projects forward if needed,” Altomonte said.
Altomonte said the borough will continue to keep residents informed about new changes and updates via the borough’s website, Nixle and Facebook.
The borough receives regular updates from various county, state and federal agencies and remains in regular contact with officials from the Matawan-Aberdeen Regional School District and the Monmouth County Office of Emergency Management.
Contact Vashti Harris at vharris@newspapermediagroup.com.
