Gov. Phil Murphy said it’s a “99% certainty” New Jersey will close all public and private schools to minimize exposure to Covid-19. Meanwhile, more towns are following the models of Teaneck and Hoboken in responding to the pandemic. North-JerseyNews.com
Bergen County Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi (R-39) is self-quarantined after developing symptoms of coronavirus. Schepisi, who announced her illness on Facebook, has been awaiting test results for four days and has been told it may be another five days until the results are in. The Record
The CDC recommended canceling or postponing all events nationwide with more than 50 people. The new guidelines on mass gatherings apply for the next eight weeks, but exclude schools, higher education institutions and businesses. The agency specified that the guidelines would not take precedence over rules imposed by individual states. Politico NJ
All staff and students of a Leonia elementary school should immediately self-quarantine after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19. An employee at the Anna C. Scott School tested positive for the coronavirus, with self-quarantine recommended through March 27. NJ.com
The New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission will be closed to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Officials anticipate re-opening March 30. All driver licenses, non-driver IDs, vehicle registrations, and inspection stickers expiring before May 31 have been extended by two months. The Daily Record
State Senate President Stephen Sweeney introduced 13 economic proposals as the coronavirus threat slows down the economy. The plan includes temporarily suspending sales and payroll taxes, creating a tax credit for businesses with quarantined workers, temporarily extending unemployment benefits and boosting SNAP benefits. NJ.com
Stocks globally plunged before the market opened March 16 even after the Federal Reserve slashed its benchmark interest rate. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped almost 5%, signaling U.S. blue-chip stocks will start the week about 1,000 points lower as investors remained concerned about a recession caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The Wall Street Journal
Sussex County proposed a $117.4 million budget for 2020 includes an average tax increase of less than 1% over last year. The biggest increase is the county’s reimbursement to the state for patients at the state-run psychiatric center up by about $402,000 over 2019 and $500,000 being transferred from the general fund to the capital projects fund. New Jersey Herald
The kosher market in Jersey City that was the site of a deadly shootout in December has reopened. The Olive Branch Kosher Market is now located at 181 Martin Luther King Drive, two blocks from the site of the shootout. The Jersey Journal
New Jersey recently participated in a multistate auction aimed at curbing greenhouse gas emissions from power plants in 10 states in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic region. The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative auction generated $91.6 million for the states to reinvest in strategic programs addressing energy efficiency, renewable energy, direct bill assistance and reducing carbon pollution. It is unclear yet what New Jersey’s proceeds will be. NJ Spotlight
And finally… A Tennessee man will donate his stockpile of 17,700 bottles of hand sanitizer instead of selling them. The New York Times
