SPOTSWOOD–With 59 positive cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) confirmed in the borough, Mayor Edward Seely gave residents an update on the status of the municipality.
“I must be honest: I, like you, am close to going crazy at times. Every day I wake up at 4:30 a.m. wishing this was over and then reality sets in,” Seely said in a prepared statement. “We still have a long way to go yet and I know we all want to get back to some type of normalcy; however, if we do this too quickly, as some states are, we run the risk of this pandemic lasting longer or very possibly getting worse.”
As of April 22, Seely said Office of Emergency Medical Director Jose Rivera worked with the Department of Health to get an actual count for the borough since the administration noted some discrepancies.
“We currently have 59 positive cases with, unfortunately, two deceased, God rest their souls. To use one of the governor’s quotes, ‘We are not out of the woods yet,'” Seely said. “So please continue to do what you have been doing so well: practicing social distancing, wearing face coverings, and only going out when you must. It is working.”
Seely said in a statement that a number of public events have been staged lately in various locations to show gratitude for all those who must take on risk so that all can survive this pandemic.
“We, as a borough, also plan to honor these people as soon as we believe it is safe to do so. In the meantime, we want all of them, our first responders, our borough employees, and the business owners and their employees, to know we are extremely appreciative and grateful for what they do every day,” Seely said in the statement.
“We’re all feeling the stress associated with COVID-19 and for them I know it is far greater. So while each of us may be in a hurry while interacting with these essential personnel, a simple thank you to them will mean a great deal,” Seely said in the statement. “To paraphrase Maya Angelou, we tend to forget what someone has said about us, but we never forget how they made us feel.”
On a personal note, Seely said every Sunday his wife and he pack a lunch and take a two-hour drive through the state.
“We did this very often when we first met and have always found it enjoyable. We’ve seen so much of New Jersey, yet still manage to find something new every trip,” Seely said in the statement. “We don’t leave the car, so we are maintaining social distancing, and it really does relieve some of the stress. Just an idea. As always, in closing, stay safe, be smart, and stay healthy.”
