Ocean County Now 'Moderate' As Rate Of New COVID-19 Cases Falls

OCEAN COUNTY, NJ — For the first time in months, Ocean County's coronavirus activity level has declined into the "moderate" zone, as the numbers of new cases continue to fall (see town-by-town totals below).

Ocean County has recorded 64,322 cases of the coronavirus through Friday, according to the Ocean County Health Department. That is an increase of 570 cases, or 0.89 percent, from April 23, when 63,752 cases were reported.

The New Jersey Department of Health's most recent COVID-19 Activity Level Report, issued Thursday for the week ending April 24, shows all of the state in the yellow "moderate risk" zone, though the case rate for the state remains in the "high risk" zone with a rate of 10 to 25 cases per 100,000 people.

Ocean County is in New Jersey's Central East region, which has the third-lowest case rate in the state at 20.95. That number is down from 28.59 from the previous week, and down by nearly half from the 40.06 recorded in early April.

The other metrics reported in the COVID-19 Activity Level Index have decreased as well for Central East. The percentage of COVID-like illnesses is at 5.02, down from 5.84 reported last week and from 7.48 for the week ending April 10. The percent positivity is at 6.95, down from 8.63 last week and from 10.61 reported two weeks ago.

The state CALI report classifies the state as orange. The federal report has had Ocean County in the red, which signifies substantial community transmission. Currently the transmission rate is below 1.0 — the level that means anyone with the coronavirus is likely spreading it to more than one person — in New Jersey as of Saturday, at 0.54, according to the state health department.

The cumulative town-by-town totals as of May 1 are below. The number in parentheses shows the number of cases from the week before.

Ocean County has had 1,947 residents who have died of complications from the coronavirus. There have been no deaths in those 18 and under; there were 37 people age 19 to 44; 254 age 45 to 64; 355 age 65 to 74; 603 age 75 to 84, and 698 people who were 85 or older have died, according to the county health department. The youngest person from Ocean County who has died was 20 years old, and the oldest was 103.

The health department's data does not include a breakdown of how many people who died had underlying conditions other than to say that heart disease was a significant contributing factor. Here are the town-by-town numbers. If the town shows a decrease this week, it reflects a correction based on the person's actual address as opposed to the mailing address.

• Barnegat Light 37 (36)
• Barnegat Township 2,014 (1,981)
• Bay Head 79 (79)
• Beach Haven 70 (68)
• Beachwood 1,107 (1,068)
• Berkeley Township 4,172 (4,134)
• Brick Township 8,768 (8,668)
• Eagleswood Township 148 (148)
• Harvey Cedars 17 (17)
• Island Heights 133 (133)
• Jackson Township 6,103 (6,002)
• Lacey Township 2,724 (2,691)
• Lakehurst 302 (297)
• Lakewood Township 13,594 (13,575)
• Lavallette 165 (163)
• Little Egg Harbor Township 1,706 (1,677)
• Long Beach Township 184 (184)
• Manchester Township 4,139 (4,106)
• Mantoloking 21 (21)
• Ocean Gate 165 (164)
• Ocean Township (Waretown) 644 (627)
• Pine Beach 177 (173)
• Plumsted Township 659 (641)
• Point Pleasant Beach 465 (457)
• Point Pleasant 2,336 (2,319)
• Seaside Heights 273 (270)
• Seaside Park 108 (106)
• Ship Bottom 103 (104)
• South Toms River 381 (371)
• Stafford Township 2,469 (2,441)
• Surf City 64 (61)
• Toms River 10,646 (10,533)
• Tuckerton 262 (258)

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