Around Toms River: Coronavirus, Surf Club Purchase Updates

TOMS RIVER, NJ — The start of the new year has been relatively quiet in Toms River, as many people focus on where and how they can get vaccinated against COVID-19.

In Ocean County, the health department has now restricted vaccinations at its two clinic sites— at the RWJ Barnabas Healthcare Arena at Toms River High School North and at Southern Regional Middle School — to Ocean County residents. But access to appointments continues to be a frustration for many.

Ocean County remains in the orange "high risk" category due to the rates of transmission of the coronavirus. As of Sunday, Ocean County had 42,097 cases, up 2,310 from the 39,787 on Jan. 18. Toms River has 374 new cases in that time, with 6,980, up from 6,606 on Jan. 18, according to the Ocean County Health Department.

Ocean County has had 1,509 deaths from complications of COVID-19, up from 1,298 as of Jan. 3. Toms River has 251, up from 244 in that time, according to the county health department.

There have been more than 595,000 people who have tested positive for the coronavirus via PCR test in New Jersey since March 2020, including 4,613 new PCR positives reported Sunday, according to the state Department of Health. As of Saturday, 2,922 people were hospitalized due to the coronavirus, with 608 in intensive care and 376 patients on ventilators, according to the state COVID-19 website. All three of those numbers have decreased over the last week.

Around town

The Township Council is scheduled to meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday. On the agenda are resolutions approving the sale of several pieces of property to Ocean County for nearly $1.9 million, and a resolution supporting the Blue Acres purchase by the state Department of Environmental Protection of the former Joey Harrison's Surf Club site.

Here are headlines you may have missed in Toms River last week:

Toms River Teachers, School Board Reach Tentative 1-Year Pact: The Toms River Regional Board of Education ratified a memorandum of agreement that gives the Toms River school district's teaching staff a 3.275 percent raise for this school year, along with a raise for Tier II professionals. The Toms River Education Association has to ratify the agreement as well.

Vicari Withdraws Name From NJ Governor's Race: The longest-serving freeholder (now commissioner) in the state briefly joined those Republicans running to challenge Phil Murphy. He withdrew a day later.

Trump Pardons Ocean County Power Broker George Gilmore: The former chairman of the Ocean County Republican Party received a full pardon for his conviction on failure to pay over payroll taxes and for lying on a loan application.

Toms River Man Charged With DWI After Crash Knocks Out Power: PD
Driver Charged With DUI After Crash Closes Route 37, Parkway Ramp

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