Westfield Schools Worry That Teens Refuse To Quarantine: Report

WESTFIELD, NJ — A week after Westfield High School went all-remote for two weeks (for the second time in as many months), sources said this week that at least one school official is concerned about teens refusing to quarantine.

TAPInto Westfield reported that the WHS athletic director, Sandra Mamary, wrote in an email this week, "It has come to my attention that student athletes, who were told to quarantine, have not been compliant. I implore you to heed to these regulations and stay home. The only way to get back into activity is if we have full compliance with the board of health and follow their regulations.”

District spokesperson Mary Ann McGann confirmed Wednesday morning that seven more students have tested positive, in addition to the six students whose tests had resulted in the school closure last week.

Tuesday night, Mayor Shelley Brindle said that Westfield had confirmed eight new cases among residents in town since her last update on Friday (zero on Saturday, three on Sunday, one on Monday, and four Tuesday), bringing the total to 430 since the first reported case in March.

The number of coronavirus fatalities among town residents remains at 43 since the most recent death on June 3.

During the last week of August, Brindle had announced that Westfield had gone a week without a new covid case. Then, there was an uptick.

More than 220,000 Americans and 14,500 people in New Jersey have died from the virus as of Tuesday. At the height of the crisis in New Jersey on April 30, 460 people passed away in 24 hours.

The report about the athletic director comes on the heels of a series of complaints about the behavior of local teens at Mindowaskin Park, which police have addressed.

"They're in desperate need of socialization," Mayor Shelley Brindle said at the time, "but being disrespectful is unacceptable."

Here are some other recent Westfield coronavirus and reopening updates:

HOW TO GET TESTED

• Union County has added mobile walk up test sites in addition to the testing site located at Kean University. Testing is free for Union County residents and is by appointment only with no car required; participants must wear masks and observe social distance. Any Union County resident can make an appointment for a test, whether they have symptoms. To pick a location, date and time, and to make an appointment online, visit ucnj.org/coronavirus-update/walk-up.
• Union County residents who need to make an appointment by phone can call 908-518-4307 for assistance. Non-profit organizations and other community groups can call the Union County Office of Emergency Management at 908-654-9881 to request a visit from the Mobile Test Unit.

• To find out more, you can also contact your doctor, visit covid19.nj.gov/testing, or call 211.

ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT/DINING

• See recent Westfield Patch stories about Halloween and Addamsfest events.
• Tickets for the Westfield 300 Summer Movie Series are free but require advance registration here.
• Read about updated Quimby Street events, rules, and street closings here.
• Indoor dining is allowed at 25 percent capacity. For a list of rules, click here.
• To read about outdoor dining in Westfield, click here.
• Gov. Murphy signed an executive order allowing gyms, health clubs, and indoor amusement facilities to reopen at 25 percent capacity effective Sept. 1. Equipment must be adjusted to allow a minimum of six feet of distance, and must be sanitized between uses. Everyone must wear masks. More details can be found here.

NATIONAL TRENDS

• More than 900 health care workers have died of the virus nationally. Others are simultaneously fighting misinformation and hoaxes as they try to fight the virus.

HOW TO GET HELP WITH HEAT, RENT, AND MORE

• During the State of Emergency in New Jersey, no tenant is permitted to be evicted from their home or apartment for the inability to pay rent. Talk to your local mayor's office if you are experiencing difficulties.
• The CARES act has made money available to help with rent in each city. More information is here.
• New Jersey residents can get help with heating and energy bills. Information is here.
• Various other avenues of relief and benefits have also been made available, including family leave for 12 weeks if you can't work due to your child's school or camp being closed, and changes to unemployment rules to help those who were at a job for a short time, or freelancing.

LONG-TERM CARE

• Recently, there were 159 long term care facilities with active outbreaks, the state Department of Health said last month. The state announced that deaths at the facilities had more than doubled since May 1.
• New Jersey residents became alarmed at the high number of residents who have passed away in nursing homes, rehabs, and similar facilities. The state announced plans in May to increase testing at some long term care facilities.
• The state released death toll statistics in spring for long-term care facilities like rehabs and nursing homes. See the list here.
• You can report problems with long term care facilities here, or if you suspect coronavirus related misconduct, here.
• Some New Jersey long-term care facilities reopened for limited visits, with precautions, in July.

Here are statewide coronavirus resources:

• NJ COVID-19 Information Hub: https://covid19.nj.gov/
• General COVID-19 questions: 2-1-1
• NJ COVID-19 hotline: (800) 222-1222

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