Around Brick: Coronavirus Update, $1M Lottery Ticket

BRICK, NJ — The start of the new year has been relatively quiet in Brick, as many people focus on where and how they can get vaccinated against COVID-19.

In Ocean County, the health department has now restricted vaccinations at its two clinic sites — at the RWJ Barnabas Healthcare Arena at Toms River High School North and at Southern Regional Middle School — to Ocean County residents. But access to appointments continues to be a frustration for many.

Ocean County remains in the orange "high risk" category due to the rates of transmission of the coronavirus. As of Sunday, Ocean County had 42,097 cases, up 2,310 from the 39,787 on Jan. 18. Brick has 296 new cases in that time, with 5,458, up from 5,162 on Jan. 18, according to the Ocean County Health Department.

Ocean County has had 1,509 deaths from complications of COVID-19, up from 1,298 as of Jan. 3. Brick has 214, up from 191 in that time, according to the county health department.

There have been more than 595,000 people who have tested positive for the coronavirus via PCR test in New Jersey since March 2020, including 4,613 new PCR positives reported Sunday, according to the state Department of Health. As of Saturday, 2,922 people were hospitalized due to the coronavirus, with 608 in intensive care and 376 patients on ventilators, according to the state COVID-19 website. All three of those numbers have decreased over the last week.

Around town

It is a quiet week, with only the Planning Board scheduled to meet, at 7 p.m. Wednesday. Included on the agenda is a proposal to build a 4,800-square-foot warehouse and additional parking at an existing industrial site on Industrial Parkway.

Here are headlines you may have missed last week in Brick:

$1M-Winning Megamillions Ticket Sold In Brick: Someone woke up with a nice surprise Saturday, after a ticket sold in Brick won $1 million.

Foodtown Site Plan Awaiting County Approval: Brick Mayor: The parking lot on Route 70 remains empty as the application is waiting for Ocean County Planning Board approval.

Brick Schools Offer Virtual Special Education Transition Fair: If you have a special needs child who will be aging out of school-based special education programs soon or in a few years, this event is for you.

Vicari Withdraws Name From NJ Governor's Race: The longest-serving freeholder (now commissioner) in the state briefly joined those Republicans running to challenge Phil Murphy. He withdrew a day later.

Trump Pardons Ocean County Power Broker George Gilmore: The former chairman of the Ocean County Republican Party received a full pardon for his conviction on failure to pay over payroll taxes and for lying on a loan application.

2 Face Drug Charges After Brick Police See Driver Using Syringe: A man seen injecting a syringe into his arm in a parking lot was arrested, as was his passenger, police said.

Click here to get Patch email notifications, or download our app to have breaking news alerts sent right to your phone. Have a news tip? Email karen.wall@patch.com Follow Brick Patch on Facebook.