In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, officials and business leaders from President Trump down to local and county folks have been pushing to open up and get back to business as usual, or something close to it. Cape May County officials and the chamber of commerce are pressing Governor Murphy to endorse significant steps that would allow the region to have something close to a normal summer season. But that’s worrying a lot of people, who think it’s moving too quickly and without proper regard for the health and safety of local residents.

Dozens of Cape May County residents have signed a letter asking the governor to slow things down. Here’s the letter, and a partial list of co-signers.

–Bob Dreyfuss

May 8, 2020

Governor Philip Murphy

State Capitol

Trenton, New Jersey

Dear Governor Murphy:

We, the undersigned, are writing to you to urge you to slow down the proposed reopening of Cape May County.

We understand that local and county leaders have written to you to get your support for opening hotels, motels and other lodgings, restaurants, bars, movie theaters in early and mid-June. We believe that is too soon.

So far, Cape May County has been fortunate to have a relatively small number of covid-19 cases and deaths compared to other parts of the state and to New York City. However, that is likely to change for the worse if and when there is a large influx of visitors to Cape May’s beaches and boardwalks. As your administration has pointed out, the shore communities do not have the health facilities to care for a large number of sick people.

While we understand that keeping businesses closed to anything like the usual volume of summer vacationers is a hardship for those businesses, we ask that you do not make an exception for Cape May County to the overall state policy of gradual, step-by-step opening according to what’s best for the health and safety of New Jersey’s population.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Bob Dreyfuss, Cape May

Terri Amig, CMCH

Barbara Dreyfuss, Cape May

Jennifer Kopp, Cape May

Robin Kanter, Wildwood

Jim Silvestri, Cape May

Jessica Talor Formento, North Cape May

Anna M. Bonk, Cape May

Jessica Kirk, Villas

Suzanne Kulperger, Cape May

J.M. Kearns, West Cape May

Tina Giaimo, Cape May

Dorothy Knapp, North Cape May

Malcolm Knapp, North Cape May

Denise Miller, West Cape May

Patricia Harper, Cape May

Debra Suplee Donahue, West Cape May

Ellie O’Donoghue, Cape May

Judy Donohue, South Dennis

Victoria Papale, Cape May

Deborah de la Cretaz, North Cape May

John de la Cretaz, North Cape May

Stephen Haas, Cape May

Wendi Lindberg, Ocean City

Heidi Cummings, Cape May

Scott Gaffney, North Cape May

Jan Bendyna, Villas

Jeffrey Braunius, Villas

Rachel Staats, Cape May County

Laura Kim Maurey, Wildwood Crest

Katherine Creenan, West Cape May

B.J. Wagner, Lower Township

Karen Stafford, Cape May

Theresa Logan, Cape May County

Susan Robert, North Cape May

Arlette Wright, West Cape May

Darlene Chavis, Erma

Frances Lynn Sally Galbraith, Erma

Maureen Bowers, Cape May

Bobi Nevin, North Wildwood

Michele Whitcas, Cape May

Gretchen Landenburger, Cape May Point

Elizabeth Villeneuve, Villas

Barbara Hoepp, West Cape May

Hope Gaines, Cape May

Janet Yunghans, Petersburg

Suzanne Simonetti, Cape May

Ann McCabe, Cape May

Joan T. Curran, Cape May

Darla Logue, Cape May Beach

Lois Vietri, Cape May

Elizabeth Davoli, Cape May

Jacqueline Bashir, Cape May

Lorraine Marozzi, Marmora

Christine Facteau, CMCH

Mary Fox, Lower Township

Frances Gutowski-Rauer, Villas

Mary Place, Villas

Maryjane Genestra, CMCH

Nancy Matalucci, Cape May

Regina MacCoy, CMCH

Hugh N. Blair, West Cape May

Rita Lynn Lyman, Cape May

Robert Scott Wolf, West Cape May

Al Kane, Villas

Ann Quinlan McCabe, Cape May

Joan Curran, Cape May

Marjorie Brooks, Ocean City
Marlena Steinberg, North Cape May
Linda Walters, Cape May Point

Hilary Pritchard, West Cape May

Chuck Pritchard, West Cape May