Coronavirus Cases Rising In Brick; Superintendent Urges Caution

BRICK, NJ — Brick Township school officials are crossing their fingers and hoping district staff and families are limiting gatherings and travel over winter break in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

Superintendent Thomas Farrell urged caution as winter break from school got underway last week as cases of the virus continue to rise throughout the state, and in Ocean County and in Brick. Read more: Brick Superintendent Urges Caution Amid Coronavirus Rise

The district had to close Brick Township High School following the Thanksgiving break and they are hoping to avoid a repeat. Read more: Brick High School Shifts To Remote Instruction Amid COVID Spike

As of Sunday, there have been more than 461,000 cases of the coronavirus in New Jersey since March, including 2,329 new ones reported Sunday, according to the state Department of Health COVID-19 website. As of Saturday, 3,469 people were hospitalized due to the coronavirus, with 686 in intensive care and 487 patients on ventilators, according to the state COVID-19 website.

Ocean County remains in the orange "high risk" category due to the rates of transmission of the coronavirus. As of Sunday, Ocean County had 30,892 cases, up 2,415 from 28,477 on Dec. 20. Brick has 353 new cases in that time, with 3,832, up from 3,479 on Dec. 20, according to the Ocean County Health Department.

Since Nov. 29, Ocean County has added more than 9,100 cases, rising from 21,771 as of Nov. 29, and Brick has 1,360 new cases in that time, up from 2,472. Deaths in Brick have risen to 185 from 154, and to 1,235 from 1,057 in the county in that time period.

The increase in cases has affected other areas; the United States Postal Service had to close the main office on Chambers Bridge Road briefly because of quarantines associated with the virus. Read more: Brick's Main Post Office Reopens After Brief Closure

Also:

• Brick Weighs Using Snow Days Amid Coronavirus Crisis
• Brick Releases Details On Free Coronavirus Tests For Residents
• Ocean Medical Center Employees Test Positive For Coronavirus

Read on for other headlines in Brick in December:

• Brick, Toms River Receive Funds For Normandy Beach Road Project
• Brick EMTs, Officer Save Man From Near-Fatal Heart Attack
• Woman Injured As Fire Forces 59 To Evacuate Brick Apartments
• Blandina Wins Brick School Board Seat After Election Recount
• Recount Ordered In Brick Board Of Education Election
• Drivers Get Gift Cards, Not Tickets In Brick PD's Blue Christmas
• Brick Pair Charged In String Of Restaurant Burglaries
• New Lidl Location To Coming To Brick, Grand Opening Wednesday
• Brick High Schools Named Gold Standard For Finance Curriculum

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