The Eatontown Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) is closed for two weeks, the latest satellite of the notorious state agency to shut down for an extended period without any known scientific basis for the prolonged closure.
State Senator Declan O’Scanlon (R-13) – who represents many residents relying upon the Eatontown location – blasted the decision on Tuesday.
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“The fact that we are still somehow closing MVC locations for two weeks for quarantining and ‘deep cleaning’ after one employee tests positive is absolutely outrageous,” said O’Scanlon. “Nowhere is still observing such heavy-handed, unscientific policies . . . not Home Depot, not supermarkets, not car dealerships, not doctors’ offices, not restaurants . . . no one. And none of these entities is suffering any ill health impact.
“Supermarkets and stores like Lowe’s and Home Depot have hundreds of workers with hundreds more customers in their stores daily, yet they don’t shut down whole locations. Somehow, the brain trust in Trenton has decided that this New Jersey agency is the only entity that must shut down for two weeks with every positive test,” added O’Scanlon. “And what’s with the continuation of expensive, and virtually useless ‘deep cleaning’?!? We’ve known for months that this is all about airborne droplets/aerosols. We don’t need anything but regular cleaning at this point.”
MVC locations have been closed on a rolling basis since reopening last July. The result has been long lines, disruptions in service, and costly mix-ups for motorists. At one point, a dozen locations were close simultaneously statewide, and South Jersey’s only regional center (located in West Deptford) was closed, forcing motorists with serious issues like suspended licenses to journey to the other end of the state.
At present, the MVC offices in Newark and Rio Grande are also closed. Both of those locations will reopen on Thursday. Eatontown will remain closed until May 22nd.
O’Scanlon pointed out that vaccinations should render the MVC closures completely unnecessary at this point in time.
“On April 29, the MVC commissioner informed me that all MVC employees who wanted the vaccine would be vaccinated by May 7,” the Monmouth County legislator continued. “Between the number of employees vaccinated and those who weren’t at work with the positive person, or those not working anywhere near the COVID-positive employee . . . it must be near 90 percent of the employees who weren’t impacted. In addition to the mitigating impact of the vaccination rate there are procedures in place, distancing rules, and other policies specifically to prevent mass exposure and the need for closures. Yet one employee tests positive and MVC indicates a complete and total lack of confidence in all of those scientifically founded mitigation efforts and closes for two weeks? It’s beyond absurd.”
“We cannot continue to paralyze our facilities and operations because we have a few people in charge who are completely out of touch and terrified.”
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