Latest Berkeley Coronavirus Updates

BERKELEY, 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 Berkeley.

Cases

The Ocean County Health Department has reported 526 coronavirus cases and 66 deaths in Berkeley.

The OCHD has reported 7,566 cases and 558 deaths in Ocean County as of Wednesday morning. Click here for daily updates.

The State has reported the following in Berkeley longterm care facilities as of Wednesday:

• Crystal Lake Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center: 94 cases, 23 deaths
• Tallwoods Care Center: 12 cases, one death

Testing

Ocean County drive-thru testing takes place at Ocean County College in Toms River from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Enter the site from the Hooper Avenue entrance.

It was previously offered 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day, but demand has decreased, officials said.

"We have noticed the number of appointments being made for the site have been decreasing so we need to adjust the site schedule," said Ocean County Public Health Coordinator Daniel Regenye. "The college drive-thru testing site has gone very smoothly and we review the operations there weekly."

Patients must meet the following requirements to get tested:

• You must be an Ocean County resident and have identification.
• You must have a healthcare practitioner script.
• You must make an online appointment at www.ochd.org.
• You must be symptomatic.

Rite Aid on Mule Road in Toms River now offers coronavirus testing. Patients will have to swab their nostrils themselves. MORE.

New Jersey Coronavirus Updates: Don't miss local and statewide announcements about novel coronavirus precautions. Sign up for Patch alerts and daily newsletters.

Schools

• New Jersey schools will stay closed for the rest of the academic year, Governor Phil Murphy announced Monday. Remote learning will continue through June. MORE.
• Central Regional is planning for the possibility of a virtual graduation because of the new coronavirus. The event would air June 17, which is already Central Regional's graduation day. MORE.

Restrictions and Updates

• Mill Creek County Park is among three county parks that will reopen Thursday, according to officials. MORE.
• Berkeley Township extended its quarterly tax grace period because of financial hardships associated with the coronavirus outbreak. The deadline was extended from May 1 to June 1. MORE.
• Berkeley Township plans to reopen both farmers markets in the coming weeks. But things will be a little different this year because of the new coronavirus. The Township expects all visitors to wear masks and practice social distancing. Berkeley officials are working to determine other safety measures. MORE.
• Berkeley Township beaches remain open. Badges are on sale until May 31 and can be used at White Sands Beach on 20th to 23rd Avenues in South Seaside Park. MORE.
• It's not quite certain how the Jersey Shore will look this summer. But more beaches are getting ready to open amid the new coronavirus. Patch gathered some recent updates on Jersey Shore beaches. MORE.
• Ocean County began gradually reopening its parks and public lands Saturday. MORE.
• We all know someone who's making a difference in this difficult time. Let's give them some of the recognition they deserve. Nominate a Berkeley hero.
• Here's how the OCHD has tried helping longterm-care facilities manage the coronavirus. MORE.
• Since the coronavirus outbreak began in Ocean and Monmouth counties, Fulfill has seen a 40 percent increase in the demand for food and has served more than 364,000 extra meals in the past month through its Crisis Relief Boxes program and its Restaurant Partnership Program. Finding a food pantry in your area is just a text away.
• The coronavirus could affect every corner of life on the Jersey Shore this summer. Here's what the Jersey Shore has done so far and what could happen. MORE.
• County officials urged the public not to dispose of used gloves on the ground. Freeholder Director Joseph H. Vicari also asked food stores, convenience stores and other retail establishments to place additional trash cans in their parking lots. MORE.
• Open or closed? Patch created a simple directory for local businesses. Here's how to get listed.
• Berkeley officials banned short-term rentals through May 20. The proclamation — signed by Mayor Carmen Amato and Police Chief Karin T. DiMichele — also prohibits door-to-door solicitation and canvassing until further notice and cancels all Board of Adjustment and Planning Board meetings through May 31.

Something to Smile About

Pitbull and Southern Ocean Medical Center: a match made in heaven. SOMC staff put together a video last month dancing to Pitbull's "I Believe That We Will Win (World Anthem)."

The artist said he felt "humbled" by their video, but the story didn't end there. Pitbull released his music video for the song Thursday, which featured clips from SOMC's video. MORE.

Here's what else you should know:

• Murphy offered a broad reopening plan on Monday, April 27, providing a six-point outline to "restart New Jersey and put the state on the road to recovery." Read more: Gov. Murphy Issues 6-Point NJ Reopen Plan In Coronavirus Crisis
• Murphy announced on Monday, May 4 that schools will close for the rest of the academic year because of the coronavirus outbreak. Read more: New Jersey Schools Closed For Rest Of Academic Year: Gov. Murphy
• Murphy issued a stay-at-home order on Saturday, March 21, closing all non-essential business. Read more: Gov. Murphy Announces NJ 'Stay-At-Home' Order Due To Coronavirus
• Many New Jersey towns rank surprisingly high on the coronavirus case list. Here are the latest town-by-town numbers, ranked highest to lowest. Read more: Latest Release, Ranking Of Town-By-Town NJ Coronavirus Cases
• Murphy ordered stores across New Jersey on Wednesday, April 8 to require shoppers to wear face coverings or masks. Here's how you can get yours, and how the new rule will be enforced. Read more: NJ Shoppers Must Wear Masks: Where To Get Them, How It's Enforced
• Here are 10 resources for you and your family to utilize as you navigate through the outbreak: Unemployment, Tests, Food: 10 NJ Resources In Coronavirus Crisis
• New Jersey's courts suspended all new jury trials until further notice, Chief Justice Stuart Rabner said on Thursday, March 12. Read more: Coronavirus Throws Monkey Wrench Into New Jersey Court System
• Murphy said during a live press conference on Wednesday, March 25 that he's ordering many day care centers to shut amid the coronavirus outbreak. Read more: Gov. Murphy To Shut Many Day Care Centers Amid Coronavirus Crisis
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a travel advisory for New Jersey. Read more: CDC Travel Advisory For NJ: No Coronavirus Travel Ban From Trump

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