Newark mayor gets tougher on restrictions to stop spread of coronavirus

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka says that the city will be getting tougher on restrictions he put into place to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

News 12 Staff

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Mar 30, 2020, 10:24 PM

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Updated 1,497 days ago

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Newark Mayor Ras Baraka says that the city will be getting tougher on restrictions he put into place to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

Newark police have turned away 139 cars at border checkpoints in the city. Officials say that if you do not belong in Newark as an essential worker, and you don’t live in the city, stay away.

The city also has 150 police officers out on the street whose job it is to hand out tickets to those who are not following the rules of social distancing.

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“We want to save lives. We are not here to give you a summons, but we will if we have to,” says Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose.

Around 40 tickets were issued by Monday afternoon. Fines range from $35-$75.

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Police are also cracking down on people gathering in front of liquor stores in the city. Liquor stores can remain open under Gov. Phil Murphy’s executive order. But police do not want large crowds to gather.

“They’re going to be open, but we are going to regulate the hours,” Ambrose says. “They can open up at 11 a.m., but at 5 p.m. they have to close.”

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Newark resident Alexander Lopez is a sanitation worker, so he is deemed an essential worker. But he says that he is still taking precautions.

“As long as you cover yourself, wear gloves, have sanitation, you’re straight,” he says.

Many people in Newark seemed to be following the restrictions and remaining in their homes. The sidewalks on the usually busy Broad Street were mostly empty on Monday.

Newark police officers were also out to remind residents of the social distancing rules and to make sure that non-essential businesses remain closed until further notice.

Baraka says that neighboring towns are also joining him in enacting tougher restrictions. The mayor says that the city will revisit the restrictions on Friday to see how effective they are.