Barnegat-Area Coronavirus Updates: Eatery Closes, Some Reopen

BARNEGAT, NJ — There's a lot of news to keep up with right now — locally, nationally and worldwide. Here's a recap of coronavirus updates in Barnegat and Manahawkin.

Cases

The Ocean County Health Department has reported 267 coronavirus cases in Barnegat and 263 in Stafford as of Monday morning. The virus has killed 28 people in Stafford and 12 in Barnegat, according to the OCHD.

Let's compare those figures to Patch's last update July 2 in Barnegat and Manahawkin:

• four new cases in Barnegat
• six new cases in Manahawkin
• no new deaths in Barnegat or Stafford

The State has reported the following in Barnegat and Stafford longterm care facilities as of Monday morning:

• Southern Ocean Center, Manahawkin: 55 cases and 15 deaths among residents, 16 cases among staff
• Barnegat Rehabilitation & Nursing Center: nine cases and two deaths among residents, 13 cases among staff
• Manahawkin Nursing and Rehabilitation Center: 20 cases and one death among residents, six cases among staff
• Atria Senior Living, Manahawkin: one case and one death among residents, one case among staff

The OCHD reported 13 new cases Sunday in Ocean County, bringing the area to 9,798 cases and 924 deaths.

Testing

The OCHD changed their testing hours at Ocean Count College. The drive-thru center will operate from 8 a.m. to noon Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Both symptomatic and asymptomatic county residents can get tested.

The site began testing asymptomatic residents last Monday. Officials moved the testing times earlier because of the heat.

“The summer heat and humidity combined with having to wear layers of personal protective equipment (PPE) while testing people outside at the drive thru is creating less than suitable conditions for the dedicated nurses," said County Public Health Coordinator Daniel Regenye. "We want to take advantage of lower temperatures during the early daytime hours that we are there.”

To schedule a test appointment, Ocean County residents can visit the Ocean County Health Department website at www.ochd.org. If residents have any questions, they can call the Health Department at 732-341-9700, Ext. 7411.

Additionally, Hackensack Meridian Urgent Care on Long Beach Island can test whether patients were previously infected with the coronavirus. Hackensack Meridian's urgent care centers began antibody testing May 2. MORE.

Recent Updates

• The U.S. Small Business Administration and U.S. Treasury released details of the country's massive Paycheck Protection Program that helped 24 businesses in Barnegat and 42 in Manahawkin affected by the coronavirus pandemic. These local businesses received assistance.
• Ship Bottom Shellfish temporarily closed because of coronavirus exposure. The Tide Table Group, who owns several restaurants in Manahawkin and Long Beach Island, closed their other eateries as a precaution. But health officials approved the reopening of several of their restaurants since then.
• Two facilities reopened last week in Barnegat: the Cloverdale Farm County Park Visitor Center and the Cedar Bridge Tavern County Historical Site. MORE.
• The state's MVCs reopened Tuesday. Photos showed the line stretching far outside the building in the Manahawkin facility. MORE.

Here's what else you should know:

• Gov. Phil Murphy is once again pointing to a research team's findings to salute something that's rarely determined in the United States: New Jersey is one of only three states on track to contain the coronavirus. MORE.
• A New Jersey beach has now made itself famous — infamous? — amid the coronavirus outbreak because it was crowded, with no masks. Even rock star Peter Frampton wasn't happy. MORE.

Read more: NJ Coronavirus, Reopen Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

Click here to get Patch email notifications on this or other local news articles or get Patch breaking news alerts sent right to your phone with our app. Download here. Follow Barnegat-Manahawkin Patch on Facebook. Have a news tip? Email josh.bakan@patch.com.