Around Manchester: Ridgeway School On Remote Instruction

MANCHESTER, NJ — As students and staff in Manchester return to school following the Thanksgiving holiday, those who attend Ridgeway Elementary School will be remaining on fully remote instruction.

Those students are supposed to return to hybrid instruction on Dec. 7, but whether that changes could depend heavily on what happens with the coronavirus pandemic and the cases in the area.

Last week, the state announced that all 21 counties had moved into the orange "high risk" category due to the rates of transmission of the coronavirus. As of Sunday, Ocean County had 21,771 cases, up 1,698 from the 20,073 on Nov. 22. Manchester has 113 new cases in that time, with 1,376, up from 1,263 on Nov. 22, according to the Ocean County Health Department.

Statewide, New Jersey now has more than 334,000 cases since March, including 3,851 new ones on Sunday, according to the state Department of Health COVID-19 website. As of Sunday, 2,877 people were hospitalized due to the coronavirus, with 559 in intensive care and 304 patients on ventilators, according to the state COVID-19 website.

Superintendent David Trethaway said there was a student who tested positive and a staff member who was awaiting results, along with several staff members and students on quarantine: Manchester's Ridgeway Elementary To Stay Remote Into December

Parents who are seeking coronavirus tests for their children have another option as Rite Aids are testing children ages 13 and up. Read more: Rite Aid Expands Coronavirus Testing To Kids 13 And Older In NJ

Around town

Manchester's town hall remains closed to the public. Residents who need access to township services should call town hall to make arrangements or fill out paperwork online wherever possible.

Manchester's Destiny Adams made it official, signing her national letter of intent to attend the University of North Carolina and play basketball for the Tar Heels. Read more: Manchester's Adams Signs To Play Basketball At North Carolina

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