What day is it? If you are like me then you are most certainly feeling a sense of social distancing fatigue. The exhaustion and waning discipline around quarantine restrictions in our daily life is testing all of us. Public spaces are often more appealing than the four walls of your house and one can only consume so much Netflix.
As a professor of economics, I compare my own fatigue to the Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility. Initially, many of us were grateful for a few extra hours in our day and on the weekends. The desire to catch up on our to-do list at home was now right in front of us, and for a few weeks, we may have even felt a new sense of accomplishment and progress around the house. However, the longer the “free” time is with us, the less we enjoy the quantity available.
This is human nature. So please don’t be hard on yourself if you feel restless and anxious, even with the never-ending cooking, cleaning and home-schooling schedules. However, we must not lose sight of how active and contagious this virus continues to be. We know that this is a time of continued sacrifice and we appreciate the way our community has answered this difficult call. Our sense of community in Voorhees is stronger than ever.
As we continue to navigate through these unprecedented times striving to protect and assist our residents within the ever-changing state of emergency regulations set forth by our Governor, let’s review the most recent Executive Orders and their effect on the residents of Voorhees.
Executive Order 138 signed on May 6 extends the Public Health Emergency in New Jersey for an additional 30 days. The Governor also announced that all schools in the state will remain closed for the remainder of the school year, so deep breaths moms and dads because the home-schooling journey continues and like me, you are able to see first-hand if your child really is a joy to have in class. Executive Order 135 temporally allows municipalities to process wedding and civil union licenses using audio visual technology curtailing the requirement for in person meeting for signing these licenses.
The New Jersey Supreme Court announced that as of May 11 remote Municipal Court sessions and legal practice court sessions may resume by video or phone to the extent possible based on facilities, technology, and other resources.
Voorhees Township has indefinitely extended the deadline to renew your pet licenses. When the new deadline is determined, ample notice will be disseminated. Late pet license fees will not be assessed in 2020. Governor Phil Murphy has given the decision when and how to re-open public beaches and boardwalks during the COVID-19 pandemic to local government officials, so please check to websites of your favorite shore destination for updates.
Of course, we saved the very best news for last! Our Mayor’s condition continues to improve, and we are elated to report that he has received a negative result on his follow up COVID test this week. We are confident that he will resume his work here in the Township very soon. Thank you all so much for your kindness and prayers for his recovery. We look forward to his return and to the day when we all return together as one big community in the place we are all proud to call home. Thank you Voorhees!
Stay healthy. Stay connected. Stay Hopeful.
