Ocean County’s COVID Cases Remain In ‘Red Zone:' See Town Updates

OCEAN COUNTY, NJ — The coronavirus continues to take a toll on Ocean County, impacting local businesses and schools in the region, according to updated state data (see town-by-town totals below).

Ocean County reported 49,617 cases on Friday, an increase of 1,609, over the 48,008 from Feb. 13. It is the weekly increase has been fewer than 2,000 in several weeks, showing a slowing in the spread of cases.

The number of cases is reflected in the state Department of Health's most recent "COVID-19 Activity Level Report," which is issued weekly. The most recent report, released Thursday and including data through Feb. 13, says Ocean County is still in the red zone for coronavirus cases.

The red zone means the daily new COVID-19 virus case rate still exceeds 25 cases per 100,000 people over a seven-day average. Ocean County is in the Central East zone, where the case rate was 31.99, according to Thursday's report, down from 33.15 for the week before that.

The latest reports say the overall coronavirus activity level is either "moderate," or "yellow," or "high," or "orange," in all New Jersey counties.

At the "high" level, state officials said, school districts in those counties may have to take more serious steps — such as quarantining or even shutting down schools — if a child shows the symptoms of COVID-19.

"When it is high risk, there are some recommendations that we make together with local school boards," said Edward Lifshitz, medical director for the state Department of Health.
The overall coronavirus risk is "high" in each of the counties because:

• The new daily case rate in each of the counties is 10 or more per 100,000 people.
• The percent of COVID-19-like illnesses is above 5.52 in each of the counties.
• The percent of positive cases is above 10.01.

All of those numbers have decreased in the last two weeks in the Central East region. Last week, case rate was 33.15, the COVID-19-like illnesses rate was 6.48, and the percent of positive cases was 9.81. Here are the numbers for the week ending Feb. 13.

Ocean County officials provided the following breakdown of cases by town. In parentheses is the number of cases for the town as of Feb. 19. If the town shows a decrease, it reflects a correction based on the person's actual address as opposed to mailing address.

• Barnegat Light 24 (25)
• Barnegat Township 1,461 (1,413)
• Bay Head 58 (54)
• Beach Haven 46 (42)
• Beachwood 831 (805)
• Berkeley Township 3,220 (3,126)
• Brick Township 6,353 (6,115)
• Eagleswood Township 118 (114)
• Harvey Cedars 14 (11)
• Island Heights 94 (92)
• Jackson Township 4,519 (4,376)
• Lacey Township 1,910 (1,834)
• Lakehurst 216 (207)
• Lakewood Township 11,937 (11,489)
• Lavallette 129 (124)
• Little Egg Harbor Township 1,234 (1,193)
• Long Beach Township 145 (141)
• Manchester Township 3,177 (3,129)
• Mantoloking 13 (13)
• Ocean Gate 127 (126)
• Ocean Township (Waretown) 412 (402)
• Pine Beach 118 (114)
• Plumsted Township 438 (405)
• Point Pleasant Beach 320 (321)
• Point Pleasant 1,742 (1,680)
• Seaside Heights 196 (186)
• Seaside Park 80 (79)
• Ship Bottom 77 (79)
• South Toms River 282 (274)
• Stafford Township 1,880 (1,829)
• Surf City 46 (39)
• Toms River 8,144 (7,917)
• Tuckerton 181 (178)

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