Barnegat-Area Coronavirus Update: In-Person Voting, School Update

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 331 total coronavirus cases in Stafford and 287 in Barnegat as of Monday morning. The virus has killed 29 people in Stafford and 11 in Barnegat.

Those figures show an increase of five cases in Stafford and one in Barnegat since Barnegat-Manahawkin Patch's last update Wednesday. One death in Stafford has been reported since then.

Officials tallied 11 new cases Sunday in Ocean County, bringing the area to 10,733 cases and 953 deaths.

Testing

Ocean County recently began testing asymptomatic patients July 6 at its Ocean County College drive-thru site.

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.

• Coronavirus testing is available for all Stafford residents at Urgent Care Now in Manahawkin. Visit www.urgentcarenownj.com or call 609-978-0242 option 5 to schedule a visit. Patients must provide an ID showing a Stafford address, along with a valid insurance card or an original social security card.
• 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.
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Recent Updates

• Stafford Township Council unanimously approved a resolution "encouraging the right to vote in person," said Mayor Gregory E. Myhre. Township officials will send the resolution to Governor Phil Murphy, who has ultimate say in whether in-person voting can take place in New Jersey during the coronavirus pandemic. MORE.
• Following Governor Phil Murphy's announcement that school districts can begin the year fully remote, the Barnegat Township, Stafford Township and Southern Regional School Districts will stick with their plans. Read more on Stafford and Southern schools. Here's more on Barnegat schools.
• A popular Long Beach Island bar and restaurant failed to follow social-distancing guidelines and let customers go without masks, according to Beach Haven police. Tom Hughes, owner of Sea Shell Resort and Beach Club, was issued a summons Monday for violating Governor Phil Murphy's executive orders relating to the coronavirus. MORE.
• Thunderbird Lanes scheduled its reopening for Monday following five months of closures because of coronavirus restrictions. MORE.
• The adage "not all heroes wear capes" is one that's apparent in society now, more than ever. We want to hear about the "heroes" who are helping your community get through these changing times. Here's how to nominate a Barnegat-Manahawkin Patch hero.

Here's what else you should know:

• Murphy is warning that New Jersey's coronavirus cases are on the rise again, and he believes that indoor parties have been largely responsible for the uptick. Read more: Gov. Murphy Warns That NJ's Coronavirus Cases Are Rising Again
• As a result, he announced that indoor gatherings were once again being restricted to 25 people and 25 percent capacity per room, reversing a previous increase to 100 people. Read more here: NJ Reverses Indoor Gathering Rules As Transmission Rate Rises
• At the same time, a new research study showed New Jersey is in danger of going through a surge of coronavirus cases. Read more: NJ 'At Risk' Of Coronavirus Surge, Study Shows

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

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