A certain group of us at work jokingly refer to the time before the COVID-19 pandemic hit as “The Before Times.” This was borne of how strange the world suddenly seemed at the beginning when many businesses were shut down and roads were empty.

It was such an eerie time with everyone locked away in their homes The Rolling Stones even put out this song about it.

It’s over now, albeit COVID-19 is just something less scary we’ll live with like seasonal flu. But while it’s over, there are certain things that the pandemic changed. Changes that are perhaps permanent.

Just as the 9/11 attacks brought about permanent changes with things like airport security and surveillance of citizens, there are things we can point to that have changed since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ways Covid-19 changed NJ and the U.S.

LOOK: Food and Personal Care Shortages We Could See In 2023

Learn about the 13 potential shortages that could impact stores in 2023, from produce and meat to snacks and beverages.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Jeff Deminski only.

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How much does the average NJ home cost? Median prices by county

Everything is costing more these days — and housing is certainly no exception in New Jersey.

Data for 2022 from January through August, compiled by New Jersey Realtors, shows that South Jersey has been seeing homes hit the market and sell in less than a month, on average.

Median prices for single-family homes have reached $500,000 and above in nine counties in North and Central Jersey.

All but two counties have seen houses go for more than the list price, on average, this year.

Biggest NJ company layoff notices in 2022 and 2023

In some cases, workers may be offered back their jobs or transfers to different locations. 

Here’s a look at more than a dozen of the biggest announcements within two years.

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