No Mask Mandate on Toms River Businesses
In Toms River, a Broken Hydrant Floods Route 9
January 15, 2022
Flooding at the Jersey Shore
January 15, 2022No Mask Mandate on Toms River Businesses
There is no Mask Mandate in Toms River According to Mayor Hill
On January 15, 2022, Toms River- Mayor Maurice B "Mo" Hill reminded companies in the Township, particularly retailers, that there is no municipal regulation requiring citizens to wear masks or face coverings when shopping indoors.
A sign at the entrance to Lowes on Hooper Avenue stated, "In compliance with local ordinances, you are required to wear a mask or face covering while indoors, regardless of vaccination status." Mayor Hill was asked about the "requirement" by multiple residents. In Toms River, there are no such laws.
“If a private establishment wants to suggest that their customers wear masks in accordance with CDC recommendations, that’s their prerogative,” the mayor said, “but they shouldn’t be touting legal requirements that don’t exist or blaming their policy on the Township.”
Photo Credit: Toms River Township Government
To prevent the transmission of COVID-19, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) encourages, but does not require, the use of masks or respirators. Masks are required in schools, healthcare settings, public transportation, child care centers, correctional facilities, and homeless shelters in the state of New Jersey. According to published reports, local mask mandates exist in Asbury Park, Hoboken, Morristown, Montclair, Newark, Paterson, and South Orange, but not in Toms River. "I don't favor mandates," Hill stated. "Our citizens are responsible and can make their own choices."
On Saturday, Mayor Hill went to the Lowes on Hooper Avenue to ask the manager to remove the erroneous sign, but it had already been removed. The manager claimed that they had received a phone call informing them that no local mask mandate existed.
Hill also paid a visit to the Chipotle restaurant on Hooper Avenue after receiving a public complaint that the establishment had erected a sign stating that according to a local rule, they could only accept "contactless payment." Due to "instructions from local officials," the mayor discovered a notice stating that only credit card payments would be accepted. The manager said that the store was only taking credit cards because of the nationwide coin shortage, which was affecting many companies, and that it had nothing to do with "local authorities." At the mayor's request, the manager agreed to change the sign.
Photo Credit: Toms River Township Government
