Phillipsburg council unanimous on ‘official disapproval’ of N.J. COVID-19 restrictions Updated Dec 17, 2020; Posted Dec 17, 2020 Seen through the front window, chairs are stacked up on the tables at the closed Empire Hunan Chinese & Japanese restaurant in Teaneck, New Jersey, during the start of the COVID-19 coronavirus/pandemic Wednesday, March 18, 2020.Aristide Economopoulos file photo | NJ Advance Media Facebook Share Phillipsburg Town Council this week shook off opposition from residents and voted unanimously to denounce New Jersey COVID-19 mitigation strategies. The all-Republican council unanimously passed a resolution accusing Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy “under the pretense of public safety” of having “deprived New Jersey citizens of the right to pursue safety and happiness; to worship in the manner most agreeable to him or her; and to assemble in the manner of their own choosing ... .”