COVID-19 Roundup: A local look at Morristown, NJ
Timothy Dougherty, the mayor of Morristown, New Jersey, announced at the start of the coronavirus outbreak in the United States that the school district would close, people would have to work from home, restaurants and bars would have to shut down and there would be a curfew in place from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.
As of Wednesday, April 8, Morris Township has 133 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and Morris Plains has 30 cases, bringing the total to 184 Morristown residents who have tested positive for the virus over the course of the outbreak.
Julie Appleton, a lawyer from Morristown, has been self-isolating in her home since March 12. Since she began working from home, Appleton has been “busier than ever.”
“Morristown is doing the right thing, but there are always people who want to break the rules,” Appleton said.
Caroline Grossman, a student at American University, has to “break the rules” occasionally by crossing the border to get to New York City.
“My parents are divorced. My dad lives in Manhattan and my mom lives in Morristown,” Grossman said. “I know Morristown [and the rest of New Jersey] has an 8 p.m. curfew, but my sister and I have to travel back and forth to be with both of my parents.”
Another Morristown High School graduate and current Ithaca College student, Matthew Mruz, is busy with online classes.
“I feel that since I left campus, I have had more work to do at home,” Mruz said. “Zooming with my professors takes up the majority of my day, and then after classes, I am busy editing a film for Ithaca’s television station.”
“When I’m not working on my film or school work, I do make time to take my dog for a walk outside,” Mruz said. “It seems that everyone in Morristown has been taking the spread of the virus seriously and people are staying home.”
Even though Morristown residents have been doing their part by staying home and practicing social distancing, they are still thinking about those ill with the virus in the hospital.
Dog walker Dani Menzel said that their Facebook feed has been full of posts showing acts of kindness in Morristown. Dougherty extended this initiative on April 6, asking residents go to their windows or balconies or even step outside to clap in appreciation for the town’s police, firefighters, first responders and hospital workers who are directly involved in stopping the spread of the virus.
“Give them […] a standing ovation for being on the front lines against the virus,” Dougherty said in a Facebook post.
“I’m glad that our community has come together to recognize and applaud all the frontline workers that have gone above and beyond during this crisis,” Menzel said.
Like many hospitals, the local hospital is seeing high volumes of patients coming in. “Morristown Memorial Hospital is working hard to fight the pandemic,” Mruz said.
“People are supporting the hospital with social distance parades, food deliveries, homemade masks and medical shields,” Appleton said. “They are doing fundraisers for the food bank and making Facebook pages to encourage everyone to order curbside from restaurants two times a week and raise money for medical supplies.”
“When I drive around town, I have noticed a lot of changes, and Morristown residents have been so determined to help and make sure everyone has everything they need,” Grossman said. “We are lucky to have the best employers at the hospital and a trustworthy town mayor.”
Menzel is beginning to adjust to these changes and feels that others slowly are too. “It has been crazy with the spread of the virus, and people are finally calming down [and] realizing this is our new normal for the time being,” Menzel said.
