Community Corner

Coronavirus Cases Rising In Toms River: December Numbers

Toms River has seen a significant increase in coronavirus cases in the last month. Check the numbers.

TOMS RIVER, NJ — Toms River school district officials are crossing their fingers and hoping district staff and families are limiting gatherings and travel over winter break in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

Superintendent David Healy urged caution as winter break from school got underway last week and as cases of the virus continue to rise throughout the state, and in Ocean County and in Toms River.

Interim Superintendent Tom Gialanella could be faced with moving schools to remote instruction depending on the spread of the virus after break; he was named interim as Healy retires effective Jan. 1. Read more: Interim Toms River Schools Superintendent Approved

Find out what's happening in Toms Riverfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

As of Sunday, there have been more than 461,000 cases of the coronavirus in New Jersey since March, including 2,329 new ones reported Sunday, according to the state Department of Health COVID-19 website. As of Saturday, 3,469 people were hospitalized due to the coronavirus, with 686 in intensive care and 487 patients on ventilators, according to the state COVID-19 website.

Ocean County remains in the orange "high risk" category due to the rates of transmission of the coronavirus. As of Sunday, Ocean County had 30,892 cases, up 2,415 from 28,477 on Dec. 20. Toms River has 340 new cases in that time, with 5,063, up from 4,723 on Dec. 20, according to the Ocean County Health Department.

Find out what's happening in Toms Riverfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Since Nov. 29, Ocean County has added more than 9,100 cases, rising from 21,771 as of Nov. 29, and Toms River has 1,575 new cases in that time, up from 3,499 . Deaths in Toms River from COVID-19 have risen to 219 from 179, and to 1,235 from 1,057 in the county in that time.

Read on for other headlines in Toms River in December:

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