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WHEREAS, as of March 9, 2020, there were 11 presumed positive
cases of COVID-19 in New Jersey, with 24 additional “Persons Under
Investigation” spread across the counties of Bergen, Camden,
Cumberland, Essex, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Monmouth, Passaic, Union,
and Sussex; and
WHEREAS, as of March 9, 2020, there were 142 positive cases
of COVID-19 in the State of New York and seven presumptive positive
cases in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; and
WHEREAS, the CDC expects that additional cases of COVID-19
will be identified in the coming days, including more cases in the
United States, and that person-to-person spread is likely to
continue to occur; and
WHEREAS, if COVID-19 spreads in New Jersey at a rate
comparable to the rate of spread in other affected areas, it will
greatly strain the resources and capabilities of county and
municipal governments, including public health agencies, that
provide essential services for containing and mitigating the
spread of contagious diseases, such as COVID-19, and the situation
may become too large in scope to be handled in its entirety by the
normal county and municipal operating services in some parts of
this State, and this situation may spread to other parts of the
State; and
WHEREAS, the spread of COVID-19 may make it difficult or
impossible for citizens to obtain consumer goods and other
necessities of life due to supply chain disruption and price
increases, as well as hamper the delivery of essential services
such as police, fire, and first aid; and
WHEREAS, the State’s public bidding act, N.J.S.A. 52:34-6 et
seq., provides a public exigency exemption, N.J.S.A. 52:34-10(b),
that in the event of a threat to the life, health, or safety to
the public, advertised bidding is not required to obtain those