New Jersey Food Council COVID-19 Update

* This is a living document that will be updated on a regular basis until it is no longer needed. For the most up-to-date information, please visit the New Jersey Food Council (NJFC) website.

May 18

Governor Murphy Unveils Multi-Stage Approach to Execute a Responsible and Strategic Restart of New Jersey’s Economy

TRENTON – As part of his vision, “The Road Back: Restoring Economic Health Through Public Health,” Governor Phil Murphy today unveiled a multi-stage approach to execute a responsible and strategic economic restart to put New Jersey on the road back to recovery from COVID-19. The multi-stage blueprint, guided by the Governor’s Restart and Recovery Commission and complementary Advisory Councils, plans for a methodical and strategic reopening of businesses and activities based on level of disease transmission risk and essential classification.

“Through our combined efforts, we have flattened the curve of COVID-19 cases, and we are well-positioned to continue our restart and recovery process,” said Governor Murphy. “Our multi-stage approach uses science, data, and facts to determine which businesses and activities can reopen according to their risk level and challenges they face to safeguard public health. Additionally, we will be guided by our ability to protect against a new COVID-19 outbreak with expanded testing and contact tracing, and clear social distancing safeguards in place. We are currently in Stage 1, and we will aim to move through each stage quickly, but also judiciously, with the public health of our communities and all New Jerseyans in mind. We are also counting on all New Jerseyans to continue keeping themselves and their neighbors safe by wearing face coverings, washing hands frequently, and limiting gatherings.”

Governor Murphy’s approach includes the following stages:

MAXIMUM RESTRICTIONS
Maximum restrictions with most individuals staying at home and activity limited to essential tasks.

Permitted activities and businesses include:

• Emergency health care
• Essential construction
• Manufacturing
• Essential retail, including grocery stores and pharmacies

STAGE 1
Restrictions relaxed on low-risk activities if appropriately safeguarded. New Jersey is currently in this stage.

Phased-in businesses may include:

• Non-essential, but easiest to safeguard, work activities at physical locations if they meet safeguarding and modification guidelines. For example, non-essential construction with protections.
• Some non-essential retail may open with significant modifications. For example, curbside pickup.
• All workers who can work from home continue to work from home even if their industry is reopening. For example, an office manager for a construction company.

Phased-in activities include State and county parks, non-essential construction, curbside retail, drive-in activities, beaches, and elective surgeries.

STAGE 2
Restrictions are relaxed on additional activities that can be easily safeguarded.

Phased-in businesses may include:

• More work activities are allowed at physical locations only if they adhere to safeguarding and modification guidelines. For example, work activities to be phased-in over the course of Stage 2 may include expanded retail, safeguarded restaurants with outdoor seating, limited personal care, and possibly indoor dining, museums, and libraries, all with significantly reduced capacity.
• All workers who can work from home continue to work from home. For example, a buying manager for restaurants.
• Some personal care services may be provided on a limited basis.

STAGE 3
Restrictions are relaxed on most activities with significant safeguarding.

Phased-in businesses include:

• More work activities, including in-person meetings, are allowed at physical locations only if they can adhere to safeguarding guidelines and modifications. For example, work activities to be phased-in over the course of Stage 3 may include expanded dining, critical in-office work, limited entertainment, expanded personal care, and bars with limited capacity.
• All workers who can work from home continue to work from home. For example, accounting office workers.
• Personal care services may be provided on a more extended basis.

Precautions that apply across all stages include:

• Work that can be done from home should continue to be done from home.
• Clinically high-risk individuals who can stay at home should continue to do so.
• All residents and businesses should follow state and federal safeguarding guidelines:

• • Wash hands
  • Wear masks in public
  • Respect social distancing
  • Minimize gatherings
  • Disinfect workplace and businesses
  • Minimize gatherings
  • No mass gatherings

New Jersey will move toward subsequent stages based on data that demonstrates improvements in public health and the capacity to safeguard the public, including:

• Sustained improvements in public health indicators, including new COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, individuals in intensive care, and ventilator use.
• Substantial increase in testing and contact tracing capacity.
• Sufficient resilience in New Jersey’s health care system to include adequate bed capacity, ventilators, personal protective equipment, and workforce.
• Widespread safeguarding of workplaces.
• Widespread safeguarding and capacity of child care, schools, and transit.
• Continued public compliance.

If public health indicators, safeguarding, or compliance worsen on a sustained basis, New Jersey will be prepared to move back to more restrictive stages as well.

For a one-page summary of Governor Murphy’s multi-stage approach to restart New Jersey’s economy, click here.

April 9

To: NJFC Members

From: Linda Doherty, President

Re: Executive Orders Regarding Essential Retail Establishments, Manufacturing and         Construction Projects

Governor Murphy issued the attached Executive Order 122 last night, which directs that essential retail businesses such as food retailers must adopt the following policies:

• Limit occupancy at 50 percent of the stated maximum store capacity, if applicable, at one time.
• Establish hours of operation, wherever possible, that permit access solely to high-risk individuals, as defined by the CDC.
• Install a physical barrier, such as a shield guard, between customers and cashiers/baggers wherever feasible or otherwise ensure six feet of distance between those individuals, except at the moment of payment and/or exchange of goods.
• Require infection control practices, such as regular hand washing, coughing and sneezing etiquette, and proper tissue usage and disposal.
• Provide employees break time for repeated handwashing throughout the workday.
• Arrange for contactless pay options, pickup, and/or delivery of goods wherever feasible. Such policies shall, wherever possible, consider populations that do not have access to internet service.
• Provide sanitization materials, such as hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes, to staff and customers.
• Require frequent sanitization of high-touch areas like restrooms, credit card machines, keypads, counters and shopping carts.
• Place conspicuous signage at entrances and throughout the store, if applicable, alerting staff and customers to the required six feet of physical distance.
• Demarcate six feet of spacing in check-out lines to demonstrate appropriate spacing for social distancing.
• Require workers and customers to wear cloth face coverings while on the premises, except where doing so would inhibit that individual’s health or where the individual is under two years of age, and require workers to wear gloves when in contact with customers or goods. View a video from the Surgeon General on how to make your own face covering. Businesses must provide, at their expense, such face coverings and gloves for their employees. If a customer refuses to wear a cloth face covering for non-medical reasons and if such covering cannot be provided to the individual by the business at the point of entry, then the business must decline entry to the individual, unless if the business is providing medication, medical supplies, or food, in which case the business policy should provide alternate methods of pickup and/or delivery of such goods. Nothing in the stated policy should prevent workers or customers from wearing a surgical-grade mask or other more protective face covering if the individual is already in possession of such equipment, or if the business is otherwise required to provide such worker with more protective equipment due to the nature of the work involved. Where an individual declines to wear a face covering on store premises due to a medical condition that inhibits such usage, neither the essential retail business nor its staff shall require the individual to produce medical documentation verifying the stated condition.

Construction

Additionally, while the Executive Order directs that the physical operations of all non-essential construction projects will be suspended, the Order provides exemptions for essential construction projects, which includes projects involving facilities at which the manufacture, distribution, storage or servicing of goods or products sold by online retail businesses or essential retail businesses takes place. If you recall, our members are considered essential under EO #107. 

Manufacturing

The Executive Order further directs that manufacturing businesses, warehousing businesses, and businesses engaged in essential construction projects must adopt policies that include the following requirements:

• Prohibit non-essential visitors from entering the worksite.
• Limit worksite meetings, inductions, and workgroups to groups of fewer than ten individuals.
• Require individuals to maintain six feet or more distance between them wherever possible.
• Stagger work start and stop times where practicable to limit the number of individuals entering and leaving the worksite concurrently.
• Stagger lunch breaks and work times where practicable to enable operations to safely continue while utilizing the least number of individuals possible at the site.
• Restrict the number of individuals who can access common areas, such as restrooms and breakrooms, concurrently.
• Require workers and visitors to wear cloth face coverings, in accordance with CDC recommendations, while on the premises, except where doing so would inhibit the individual’s health or the individual is under two years of age, and require workers to wear gloves while on the premises. View a video from the Surgeon General on how to make your own face covering. Businesses must provide, at their expense, such face coverings and gloves for their employees. If a visitor refuses to wear a cloth face covering for non-medical reasons and if such covering cannot be provided to the individual by the business at the point of entry, then the business must decline entry to the individual. Nothing in the stated policy should prevent workers or visitors from wearing a surgical-grade mask or other more protective face covering if the individual is already in possession of such equipment, or if the businesses is otherwise required to provide such workers with more protective equipment due to the nature of the work involved. Where an individual declines to wear a face covering on the premises due to a medical condition that inhibits such usage, neither the business nor its staff shall require the individual to produce medical documentation verifying the stated condition.
• Require infection control practices, such as regular hand washing, coughing and sneezing etiquette, and proper tissue usage and disposal.
• Limit sharing of tools, equipment, and machinery.
• Provide sanitization materials, such as hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes, to workers and visitors.
• Require frequent sanitization of high-touch areas like restrooms, breakrooms, equipment, and machinery.

Additional Requirements

The Executive Order further directs that all essential retail businesses, warehousing businesses, manufacturing businesses, and businesses performing essential construction projects must also adopt policies that include the following requirements:

• Immediately separate and send home workers who appear to have symptoms consistent with COVID-19 illness upon arrival at work or who become sick during the day.
• Promptly notify workers of any known exposure to COVID-19 at the worksite, consistent with the confidentiality requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act and any other applicable laws.
• Clean and disinfect the worksite in accordance with CDC guidelines when a worker at the site has been diagnosed with COVID-19 illness.
• Continue to follow guidelines and directives issued by the New Jersey Department of Health, the CDC and the Occupational Health and Safety Administration, as applicable, for maintaining a clean, safe and healthy work environment.

The Order directs all businesses authorized to maintain in-person operations to implement the following cleaning protocols:

• Clean and disinfect high-touch areas routinely in accordance with CDC guidelines, particularly in spaces that are accessible to staff, customers, tenants, or other individuals, and ensure cleaning procedures following a known or potential exposure in a facility are in compliance with CDC recommendations.
• Otherwise maintain cleaning procedures in all other areas of the facility.
• Ensure that the facility has a sufficient number of workers to perform the above protocols effectively and in a manner that ensures the safety of occupants, visitors, and workers.

This Order takes effect on Friday, April 10 at 8:00 p.m.

Please notify NJFC if members have recommendations regarding this Executive Order that we can bring to the Governor’s Office. As always, please contact me at (609) 392-8899 or Mary Ellen Peppard at [email protected] if we can provide additional information about these issues.

April 2

Gov. Phil Murphy Salutes Grocery Store Workers As “Mission Critical”

TRENTON – April 2, 2020 – New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has produced a video to express his appreciation to grocery store workers who he considers “a vital part of our front-line emergency response team.”

Murphy acknowledged the hard work and long hours of everyone working in grocery stores, from the employees on the loading docks to those who are stocking shelves. He also recognized the cashiers and the workers who bring the groceries out to the car for seniors who need the extra help.

“I know this time can be hard on you professionally and personally,” Murphy said in the 75-second video, adding that he is doing his best to ensure workplace safety during the COVID-19 outbreak. “You are not far from my mind.”

The governor noted that he may be considered the face of New Jersey, but to countless residents, grocery store workers are “mission critical,” a key to getting the state through this emergency. “I can’t thank you enough,” Murphy said, urging workers to remain dedicated to the job for the difficult weeks ahead.

Linda Doherty, president & CEO of the New Jersey Food Council, expressed appreciation to the governor for producing this inspiring message for an industry that collectively generates more than 1 million jobs to feed the people of the state.

“We are thankful Governor Murphy has taken this special opportunity to acknowledge the vital role of the grocery worker in our lifeline industry,” she said. “It is so critical at this moment for our dedicated workforce to know they are appreciated for their tireless efforts to keep this lifeline open for New Jersey residents.

“We hope New Jersey consumers follow the Governor’s lead and thank our grocery store workers, truckers, stockers and cashiers,” she added. 

Watch Governor Murphy’s message here.

March 27

An Open Letter to Our Government Partners and Industry Friends:

The coronavirus has upended the lives of millions of state residents, and every food retailer in New Jersey is taking the necessary precautions to keep its associates and customers safe. At the same time, we are balancing an unimagined demand for food supplies driven by public fear, media coverage, and the significant closure of restaurants and other businesses.

Food retailers understand that their mission is critical for the nine million New Jersey customers that depend on us for their health and welfare. Our members have been adjusting quickly to the new normal of intermittent out-of-stock items and sporadic customer surges. Despite enormous logistical challenges, our state’s grocery community has worked around the clock to supply food to New Jersey families, while at the same time, taking essential steps to flatten the COVID-19 curve in each of the communities we serve.

These steps start at our front doors and end as our customers are checking out. We have designed new ways to social distance and limit customer density in stores in order to continue providing a safe and sanitary place to shop. Below is a sampling of the precautions New Jersey food retailers have put in place:

• Managers along with all store associates are applying social distancing techniques and general health best practices. These communications have become part of daily management routines. Stores are adhering to important CDC recommended guidelines.

• “Golden hours” or special check-out lanes are available every day. Many retailers are offering these options for seniors, medically vulnerable customers, and first responders to allow for social distancing and easy access while shopping.

• Retailers have a substantial infrastructure in place for online ordering and delivery of groceries or curbside pickup options. We are increasing those capabilities across the state’s entire supply chain, and this is helping reduce the number of customers coming into stores.

• Food retailers have suspended self service operations.

• Signage is at the entrance, throughout the store, and announcements are made over the public address system reminding shoppers to practice social distancing.
• Many stores are installing clear plastic guards at registers for the protection of store associates and customers. Because the register may not allow for the cashier and customer to maintain a distance of six feet apart per CDC guidelines, Plexiglas guards are being added for additional protection in one of the most vulnerable areas of the store.

• Whenever possible, retailers are opening only every other register lane to create further distancing between customers at checkout instead of opening lanes right next to each other.

• Many retailers are placing tape on the floors at each register so customers understand the 6-foot distance they should keep from others. The length of a standard shopping cart also creates natural spacing for social distancing.

• To prevent community spread, customers who bring reusable bags will bag their own groceries and retailers are encouraging towns with plastic bag bans to suspend these ordinances during this national and state emergency. It has been found that COVID-19 can live on all surfaces for up to 48 hours, and any bag that is brought into a store by a customer, or handled by multiple people increases the possibility of the spread of the virus.

• Store associates are wiping down and disinfecting shopping cart handles and checkout lanes as often as needed throughout the day.

• During off hours, food retailers are deep cleaning and sanitizing the store and targeting touch points like the checkout stand, break rooms and restrooms.
Members of the Food Council have imposed these practices to protect our associates and customers. We appeal to you as a partner to support and promote these actions in these unprecedented times. Clear direction and uniform standards, consistent with current guidance from the scientific and medical community and properly messaged to the public, are paramount in order to keep New Jersey residents informed and for food retailers to manage the chaos COVID-19 has created.

As you know, our industry, as well as many others across the nation, continue to serve the public in the midst of turbulence, the likes of which we have never seen at any other time in our memory. Historically, in times of great national crisis and even at the state level, one constant has prevailed: the elevation of sound, solid social practices and the voice of reason.

As we continue to strive to keep our doors open for our guests, the lines of communication from our partners to the public is critical. We are all in this together!

Respectfully,
Linda Doherty
President & CEO
New Jersey Food Council