ASBURY PARK, NJ – Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Asbury Park was coming back and some experts expected 2020 to be a banner year for the revival that is happening across the city. That might have to be put on hold for now as the city just declared a moratorium on hotel reservations.
“To slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus, the City of Asbury Park will be suspending all hotel, motel and guest house lodging reservations in Asbury Park beginning April 1, 2020, until further notice,” the city said.
In an effort to limit travel to the City, and slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus, and in accordance with the authority granted to municipalities under the Governor’s Executive Order No. 108 (2020) and the State Emergency Management Director’s Administrative Order No. 2020-8, the City of Asbury Park’s Municipal Emergency Management Coordinator has entered an Order on this date to suspend all hotel, motel and guest house reservations for lodging within the City beginning on April 17, 2020 at 12pm, until further notice. This determination was made by the Municipal Emergency Management Coordinator, in consultation with the Mayor, City Manager and City Attorney. The City will continue to review this issue as matters progress, and this Order is intended to be fluid, and may be revised, dissolved or extended accordingly.
All hotel, motel and guest house owners are required to immediately stop taking lodging reservations whether done online or over the phone. While reservations are suspended beginning April 17, 2020, until further notice, owners may take future reservations knowing they cannot be honored until the suspension is lifted.
The City previously suspended all short-term rentals within the City, and this additional measure is intended to protect the health, safety and welfare of the public.
The City will revisit the suspension at the end of the month and is hopeful lodging reservations will be reinstated before the summer season. An update will be issued prior to April 30, 2020.
“As Mayor, I am in complete support of our Municipal Emergency Management Coordinator’s determination,” said Mayor John Moor, “The health, safety and welfare of the public is our number one concern at this time. It is our sincere hope that, with social distancing and the other measures that the public has been conscientiously adhering to, circumstances will change such that the City will be able to lift this restriction as soon as possible.”
“We want to thank our hotel partners in Asbury Park who voluntarily chose to stop taking reservations for the month of April, which helped limit non-essential travel to Asbury Park and to keep our community safe,” said Deputy Mayor Amy Quinn, “For a City that has always welcomed visitors, it’s heartbreaking to have to make a decision like this— but by reducing an influx of visitors to Asbury Park during a public health crisis, we are aiming to reduce risk to our residents.”
City Council urges residents to follow Governor Murphy’s Stay at Home Executive Order and to continue to practice safe social distancing by staying at least 6 feet away from others. Residents may still leave their homes for essential needs – to head to the grocery store, seek medical care, visit close family, report to work, or go outside for exercise. Face coverings are required when visiting essential retailers to slow the spread of COVID-19.
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