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Shoppers Asked To Wear Masks Properly Spit On, Hit Toms River Mall Worker With Belt Shoppers Asked To Wear Masks Properly Spit On, Hit Toms River Mall Worker With Belt
Shoppers Asked To Wear Masks Properly Spit On, Hit Toms River Mall Worker With Belt An Ocean County Mall employee was spit on and hit with a belt after asking a couple to pull their face masks up, according to local police. The Zumiez worker noticed a man and woman in the store had their masks around their necks when they came in around 3:10 p.m., July 9, Toms River police said. The couple became "irate" when the employee asked them to wear their masks properly, and began screaming before picking up a belt for sale and "snapping" it toward her -- hitting her once, police said. The woman then yelled at the worker and spit at her, before they both left, authorities said. …

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by Cecilia Levine
News
Blood Type Doesn't Increase Or Reduce Risk Of Contracting COVID, Studies Find Blood Type Doesn't Increase Or Reduce Risk Of Contracting COVID, Studies Find
Blood Type Doesn't Increase Or Reduce Risk Of Contracting COVID, Studies Find Amid the misinformation spread during the pandemic has been a belief that people with certain blood types are at higher or lower risk than others of contracting the coronavirus. Two recent studies from reputable sources, however, found that Type A blood doesn't increase the odds that you'll be infected. Earlier during the pandemic, researchers said preliminary evidence suggested that blood type was a key factor for possibly contracting COVID or getting dangerously ill. A study published more than a month ago in the New England Journal of Medicine claimed a 45% higher risk of COVID infectio…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
ROOM AT THE TOP: Empire State Building Observatory Reopens With Clear Views ROOM AT THE TOP: Empire State Building Observatory Reopens With Clear Views
Room AT THE TOP: Empire State Building Observatory Reopens With Clear Views If you ever wanted to catch unobstructed views from the observatory at the Empire State Building, you can start this Monday. Thank social distancing. There will be no out-of-towners hogging the sightlines for what will be a limited number attendees at a time when the observatory opens at the “World's Most Famous Building.” Reservations will be online-only and scheduled for specific time periods. Only 500 guests at a time will be allowed in the 70,000-square-foot space – barely a fifth of the usual amount and well below New York State's Phase 4 capacity guideline of 25%. That allows fo…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Starbucks Makes Masks Mandatory Starbucks Makes Masks Mandatory
Starbucks Makes Masks Mandatory Starbucks is requiring customers wear masks inside all stores in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19 effective Wednesday. Store employees are continuing to keep up with increased sanitation procedures, frequent hand washing and the check-in process with a temperature check. Customers are also required to stay six feet apart. “Wearing facial coverings in public spaces is one of the simplest and most effective things we can do to take care of one another,” Starbucks officials said in a release. “We appreciate your partnership and look forward to seeing you soon.”

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by Valerie Musson
News
Change Will Allow More NJ Restaurants To Offer Outdoor Dining Change Will Allow More NJ Restaurants To Offer Outdoor Dining
Change Will Allow More NJ Restaurants To Offer Outdoor Dining A change that will allow more restaurants to offer outdoor dining will soon take effect in New Jersey. Areas with fixed roofs that have two open sides comprising more than 50 percent of the total wall space will be considered outdoors because of the air flow, Gov. Phil Murphy announced Wednesday. Indoor dining was set to resume in New Jersey last week, but Murphy postponed it days prior, citing "knucklehead behavior" at a handful of bars and restaurants across the state. Doing so was one of the most difficult decisions Murphy and other state officials made, he said. "I have nothing b…

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by Cecilia Levine
News
Movie Theater Giants Sue NJ Over 'Unconstitutional' Coronavirus Closures Movie Theater Giants Sue NJ Over 'Unconstitutional' Coronavirus Closures
Movie Theater Giants Sue NJ Over 'Unconstitutional' Coronavirus Closures New Jersey is facing a lawsuit from three of the biggest movie theater companies in the U.S. over "unconstitutional" closures during the COVID-19 pandemic. AMC, Regal and Cinemark filed the suit against Gov. Phil Murphy and the state Monday, seeking a temporary restraining order from a federal judge that would allow theaters to reopen immediately, the New York Post reports. Theaters have been closed since mid-March, when Murphy ordered statewide businesses closed. Murphy and NJ Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli's spokespeople say they don't comment on pending litigation. The suit mainta…

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by Cecilia Levine
News
COVID-19: Travelers From Three More States Added To NY/NJ/CT Quarantine List COVID-19: Travelers From Three More States Added To NY/NJ/CT Quarantine List
Covid-19: Travelers From Three More States Added To NY/NJ/CT Quarantine List Travelers from three more states with high positive testing rates for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) have now been added to the joint quarantine order for out-of-state travelers to New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. The newly-added states as of Tuesday, July 7 are Delaware, Kansas and Oklahoma, bringing the total number of states on the list to 19. The quarantine applies to any person arriving from a state with a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents over a seven-day rolling average or a state with a 10 percent or higher positivity rate over a 7-day rolling average. …

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by Joe Lombardi
News
Murphy Threatens Pause To Restart As COVID-19 Transmission Rate Spikes Highest In 10 Weeks Murphy Threatens Pause To Restart As COVID-19 Transmission Rate Spikes Highest In 10 Weeks
Murphy Threatens Pause To Restart As Covid-19 Transmission Rate Spikes Highest In 10 Weeks The COVID-19 transmission rate across New Jersey is the highest it's been in 10 weeks -- a sign that "we need to do more," Gov. Phil Murphy said at Monday's briefing. In the last two days, the rate of transmission as been 1.03, meaning that every new case leads to at least one other new one, the governor explained. "I do not want to have to hit another pause on our restart because a small number of New Jerseyans are being irresponsible and spreading COVID-19 while the rest of us continue to work hard to stop it," said Murphy, the same day youth day camps, in-person summer education and outd…

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by Cecilia Levine
Schools
Here Are The Rules: NJ Schools To Reopen With Social Distancing, Face Masks Here Are The Rules: NJ Schools To Reopen With Social Distancing, Face Masks
Here Are The Rules: NJ Schools To Reopen With Social Distancing, Face Masks Going back to school in September will look much different for New Jersey students, who have been remotely learning since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic mid-March. The New Jersey Department of Education on Friday released guidance for reopening of schools for the 2020-21 school year. The guidelines strongly encourage face masks for students, who are required to stay six feet apart in classrooms and buses. Lunch times will be staggered and teachers are required to wear face masks. The guidelines are part of the state's "Road Back" restart and recovery plan, and were compiled…

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by Cecilia Levine
News
COVID-19: NY, NJ, CT Order Joint Quarantine For Visitors From States With High Infection Rate COVID-19: NY, NJ, CT Order Joint Quarantine For Visitors From States With High Infection Rate
Covid-19: NY, NJ, CT Order Joint Quarantine For Visitors From States With High Infection Rate New York, New Jersey and Connecticut are requiring mandatory 14-day quarantines for travelers coming into the region from states with high novel coronavirus (COVID-19) infection rates. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy held a joint press briefing on Wednesday, June 24 to announce the “travel advisory.” “We’ve worked very hard to get the viral transmission down, and we don’t want to get it up,” Cuomo said. “People can literally bring the infection with them. ... It’s not malicious or malevolent, but it will be real. Noting that the tri-…

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by Zak Failla
News
NJ Playgrounds, Amusement Parks Can Reopen July 2 NJ Playgrounds, Amusement Parks Can Reopen July 2
NJ Playgrounds, Amusement Parks Can Reopen July 2 Outdoor amusement parks, waterparks and playgrounds can reopen with limitations Thursday July 2, Gov. Phil Murphy announced Tuesday, adding New Jersey has reached the latter portion of Stage 2 of reopening. The amusement and water parks -- including rides on Jersey Shore boardwalks -- will be able to reopen at 50 percent capacity, the governor said. Face coverings will be required and strict hygiene protocols will be fully implemented, he said.  Rides will be sanitized and will accommodate social distancing measures. Playgrounds have been closed since mid-March, as one of the…

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by Cecilia Levine
Schools
NJ Education Officials To Release Guidelines On Welcoming College Students Back To Campus NJ Education Officials To Release Guidelines On Welcoming College Students Back To Campus
NJ Education Officials To Release Guidelines On Welcoming College Students Back To Campus New Jersey education officials on Wednesday is expected to release guidelines for the state's colleges and universities bringing students back on campus for upcoming summer and fall semesters. No hard date was set, rather, institutions were told they can provide individual plans to The NJ Office of the Secretary of Higher Education at least 14 days before the date they want to reopen for review by the state's health department. The plans must consider 10 key areas: Instruction, housing, computer labs, libraries, research and labs, student services, transportation, dining, study ab…

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by Cecilia Levine