Ocean County's Weekly COVID Cases Up 10 Percent: See Town Updates

OCEAN COUNTY, NJ — The coronavirus continues to take a grim 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 39,270 total cases on Saturday, an increase of 3,630, or 10 percent, over the previous week.

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 all Ocean County still is in the “red zone” for coronavirus cases.

The “red zone” means the daily new COVID-19 virus case rate, per 100,000 people, rose to "very high" in all 21 counties. That means they exceed 25 cases per 1,000 people over a seven-day average.

The latest reports say the overall coronavirus activity level also rose from "moderate," or “yellow,” to "high," or “orange,” in recent weeks in all 21 New Jersey counties.

With the rise to a "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.

Indeed, a number of school districts have shifted to remote instruction as the numbers have risen.

The overall coronavirus risk rose to "high" in each of the counties because:

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

Ocean County officials provided the following breakdown of cases by town:

• BARNEGAT LIGHT BOROUGH 21
• BARNEGAT TOWNSHIP 1146
• BAY HEAD BOROUGH 40
• BEACH HAVEN BOROUGH 36
• BEACHWOOD BOROUGH 626
• BERKELEY TOWNSHIP 2588
• BRICK TOWNSHIP 5034
• EAGLESWOOD TOWNSHIP 93
• HARVEY CEDARS 9
• ISLAND HEIGHTS BOROUGH 65
• JACKSON TOWNSHIP 3566
• LACEY TOWNSHIP 1471
• LAKEHURST BOROUGH 173
• LAKEWOOD TOWNSHIP 9246
• LAVALLETTE BOROUGH 98
• LITTLE EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP 989
• LONG BEACH TOWNSHIP 114
• MANCHESTER TOWNSHIP 2510
• MANTOLOKING BOROUGH 10
• OCEAN GATE BOROUGH 101
• OCEAN TOWNSHIP 334
• PINE BEACH BOROUGH 88
• PLUMSTED TOWNSHIP 334
• POINT PLEASANT BEACH BOROUGH 237
• POINT PLEASANT BOROUGH 1356
• SEASIDE HEIGHTS BOROUGH 163
• SEASIDE PARK BOROUGH 70
• SHIP BOTTOM BOROUGH 60
• SOUTH TOMS RIVER BOROUGH 224
• STAFFORD TOWNSHIP 1513
• SURF CITY BOROUGH 34
• TOMS RIVER TOWNSHIP 6476
• TUCKERTON BOROUGH 133