NEW JERSEY – Gov. Phil Murphy, speaking during a Friday news conference, said he’s extending deadlines for driver’s license and other Motor Vehicle Commission services to eliminate the chaotic scenes amid the coronavirus outbreak. He made the announcement as he revealed 367 new coronavirus cases and 31 more deaths. (you can watch it here, below).
Deadlines for licenses, registrations, inspections stickers, and temporary tags were extended to give customers more time to renew, Murphy said.
Documents expiring between March 13 and May 31 have been extended to Sept. 30; those expiring June 1 to August 31 have been extended to December 31.
“After three months of pent up demand, I completely understand the frustration felt by every MVC customer forced to wait in long lines as we reopen agencies,’’ said Murphy. “To ensure that the MVC does not go understaffed, I am exempting MVC agency personnel from work furloughs.”
The chaotic scenes took place primarily on Monday and Tuesday, when the MVC reopened to in-person services. Read more: 3-Hour Waits, Lines As NJ’s MVC Reopens; Will It Happen Again?
This extension covers:
Commercial driver licenses (CDLs) were previously extended to September 30.
“Check your documents and stickers,” MVC Chief Administrator Sue Fulton advised. “You very well may be able to delay a trip to the agencies until some of the initial crush is past.’’
Another way to reduce crowds is for customers to complete transactions online if they can be done online, she said.
Fulton told customers that if the transaction they need can be completed online, they must do it online as part of a new MVC policy aimed at reducing crowds.
“This will free up important space in our agencies for people who have no choice but to come and do their transaction in person,’’ Fulton said.
Also, the MVC asks everyone to check NJMVC.gov before heading out to an agency to make sure you have the right documents for the transaction you need and to be up on the latest developments.
The update comes as the number of cases rose to 174,628, and 13,532 confirmed deaths were reported. Read more: NJ Coronavirus, Reopen Updates: Here’s What You Need To Know
Murphy said New Jersey’s rate of transmission has dropped below 1.0 – a positive sign that the outbreak in the Garden State is slowing again. CovidActNow, a team of researchers tracking the outbreak, also reported that New Jersey is now on track to contain the virus.
Could a tropical storm impact New Jersey’s management of the coronavirus outbreak? Murphy advised people to use common sense and stay safe. “If you experience an outage, call it in immediately to your service providers,” he said. Read more: Tropical Storm Fay In NJ: Timeline, Hour-By-Hour Forecast
Watch Murphy here:
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This article originally appeared on the Point Pleasant Patch
