Bloomfield Sees 2 Positive Cases Of Coronavirus (UPDATED)

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — Bloomfield has seen two presumptive positive case of the new coronavirus known as COVID-19, officials said Sunday.

According to a statement from municipal officials, a township couple tested positive for the COVID-19 after they were taken to Hackensack Meridian Mountainside Medical Center on Wednesday.

“The couple are now under quarantine at that hospital and the township Health Department is performing a community spread assessment which will track all the contacts that the couple may have made over the past week,” Bloomfield officials stated.

“On Wednesday, a Bloomfield couple was taken to an area hospital where they were tested for the Covid-19 Coronavirus and the test confirmed that they did indeed have the virus,” Mayor Michael Venezia said. “The couple has been quarantined and I am working with the township Health Department and Health Director Karen Lori to ensure that we know as many of the places and people that this couple has come into recent contact with. I continue to urge residents to exercise caution and to not attend any large gatherings at this time.”

• See related article: Bloomfield Taking Coronavirus 'Very Seriously,' Mayor Says

“The Bloomfield Health Department is doing everything in our power to keep residents safe and informing them of any developing information,” Township Health Director Karen Lori said. “Our department has begun the process of conducting a community spread assessment and will make the results available to the public when we have more information. We are urging residents to practice social distancing at this time and to wash their hands frequently with soap and water or to use hand sanitizer.”

On Sunday, Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. said that another positive coronavirus case has been diagnosed in Bloomfield, making for 11 overall in the county.

• See related article: 11 Coronavirus Cases In Essex County; Official Names Towns

CORONAVIRUS IN NEW JERSEY

The number of people with the coronavirus in New Jersey had risen to 69 as of Saturday. Authorities said two people have died. Read more: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

Gov. Phil Murphy has declared a state of emergency, schools across the state have begun to cancel classes, and local governments and community organizations have launched their own efforts to protect residents from the virus.

In general — depending on where they live — New Jersey residents still face a “low risk” of contracting COVID-19, State Epidemiologist Christina Tan said during a Wednesday press conference.

There have been more than 2,900 confirmed U.S. cases of the new coronavirus as of Sunday morning according to Johns Hopkins University, which says the disease also has killed 57 people nationwide.

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WHAT IS COVID-19?

Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that include the common cold as well as much more serious diseases. The strain that emerged in China in late 2019, now called COVID-19, is related to others that have caused serious outbreaks in recent years, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the U.S. was on Jan. 21.

The disease, which apparently originated in animals, is now transferring from person to person, although the mechanism is not yet fully understood. Its symptoms include fever, coughing and shortness of breath, and many patients develop pneumonia. There is as yet no vaccine against COVID-19 it and no antiviral treatment.

According to the CDC, the best way of preventing the disease is to avoid close contact with people who are sick, to avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands, to wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and to use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol if soap and water are not available.

To avoid spreading any respiratory illness, the CDC recommends staying at home when you are sick, covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue and throwing the tissue in the trash, cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces.

The CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a face mask to protect themselves from respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19. You should only wear a mask if a health care professional recommends it. A face mask should be used by people who have COVID-19 and are showing symptoms. This is to protect others from the risk of getting infected. The use of face masks also is crucial for health workers and other people who are taking care of someone infected with COVID-19 in close settings (at home or in a health care facility).

Residents who have questions about the virus can contact the State of New Jersey's hotline at 1 (800) 222-1222. The hotline is home of the New Jersey Poison Information and Education System, and is staffed 24 hours a day by state health workers.

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