Ocean Co.'s Weekly COVID Cases Up 4.67 Percent: 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 48,008 cases on Friday, an increase of 2,144, or 4.67 percent, over the 45,864 from Feb. 5. It is a much smaller percentage increase than in January, showing a slowing in the spread of cases.

The rise 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, 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 33.15 for the week ending Feb. 6. That number is down from the 42.47 of the week before.

The "red zone" means the daily new COVID-19 virus case rate, per 100,000 people, is "very high" currently in 14 counties. That means they exceed 25 cases per 100,000 people over a seven-day average. The "orange" zone means they have a rate of 10 to 25 cases per 100,000 people.

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

"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, the COVID-19-like illnesses rate was 7.16, and the percent of positive cases was 9.95.

Ocean County officials provided the following breakdown of cases by town. In parentheses is the number of cases for the town as of Feb. 13. If the town shows a decrease, it reflects a correction based on the person's actual address as opposed to mailing address.

• Barnegat Light 25 (24)
• Barnegat Township 1,413 (1,343)
• Bay Head 54 (48)
• Beach Haven 42 (40)
• Beachwood 805 (765)
• Berkeley Township 3,126 (2,983)
• Brick Township 6,115 (5,861)
• Eagleswood Township 114 (108)
• Harvey Cedars 11 (11)
• Island Heights 92 (87)
• Jackson Township 4,376 (4,200)
• Lacey Township 1,834 (1,751)
• Lakehurst 207 (199)
• Lakewood Township 11,489 (10,843)
• Lavallette 124 (122)
• Little Egg Harbor Township 1,193 (1,150)
• Long Beach Township 141 (138)
• Manchester Township 3,129 (2,968)
• Mantoloking 13 (12)
• Ocean Gate 126 (122)
• Ocean Township (Waretown) 402 (385)
• Pine Beach 114 (111)
• Plumsted Township 405 (392)
• Point Pleasant Beach 321 (309)
• Point Pleasant 1,680 (1,614)
• Seaside Heights 186 (177)
• Seaside Park 79 (77)
• Ship Bottom 79 (71)
• South Toms River 274 (264)
• Stafford Township 1,829 (1,762)
• Surf City 39 (39)
• Toms River 7,917 (7,630)
• Tuckerton 178 (171)

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