Basking Ridge COVID-19 Updates: Vaccine Obstacles, Hospital Data

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — Here are the latest coronavirus updates around Basking Ridge.

Cases and Vaccinations

The Somerset County Health Department reported 43 new COVID-19 cases in Bernards Township from Jan. 28 through Wednesday. Officials have reported 1,017 cases and 47 deaths from the virus in Bernards Township since the pandemic began.

Health officials have tallied 16,060 cases and 655 coronavirus deaths to date.

The Bernards Township School District updates its COVID-19 dashboard daily.

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As of Thursday morning, 32,745 vaccine doses have been administered in Somerset County, according to the New Jersey Department of Health. That's an increase of 7,418 shots since Basking Ridge Patch's last update Jan. 27. The county has an estimated population of 328,934, and both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two doses per person.

Recent Updates

• The Bernards Township Health Department received approval as a COVID-19 vaccination site. But like New Jersey and the rest of the county, they're not immune to the vaccine shortage. The state informed the agency Friday that they must wait to begin because of the overall shortage of doses, said Bernards Township Health Officer Lucy Forgione. MORE.
• In the meantime, here's the latest list of COVID-19 vaccine sites in the Basking Ridge area.
• New Jersey launched a COVID-19 vaccine call center to help people with basic questions about the state's inoculation process. But the Garden State's new hotline hasn't been so convenient, according to Basking Ridge Patch readers. MORE.
• Here's the latest federal data on hospital capacities in the Basking Ridge area.

Here's what else you should know:

• Gov. Phil Murphy announced on Wednesday that he's rolling back some restrictions on indoor gatherings that he set in place in November. Murphy announced that limits on indoor gatherings will increase to 35 percent, up from the current 25 percent, effective 8 a.m. on Friday. The number of people permitted indoors will be limited to 150. MORE.
• New Jersey officials say they're addressing problems caused by the nor'easter that led to the postponement of thousands of COVID vaccine appointments and other issues. MORE.

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