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 549 coronavirus cases and 74 deaths in Berkeley as of Tuesday morning.

The OCHD has reported 7,942 coronavirus cases and 633 deaths. Fifty-three new cases were reported Monday in Ocean County. Check here for daily updates.

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

• Crystal Lake Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center: 96 cases, 25 deaths
• Tallwoods Care Center: 24 cases, two deaths

Testing

Ocean County drive-thru testing takes place at Ocean County College in Toms River from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Testing returned back to its original timeframe after reducing to 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. last week.

"We continue to watch the appointment schedule and adjust it as we go forward," said County Public Health Coordinator Daniel Regenye. "Based on current State recommendations we anticipate that we will be testing more people in the days ahead."

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.
• We're building a virtual yearbook, profiling local grads from Central Regional and New Jersey, but we need your help to do it. MORE.
• Central Regional's virtual graduation will air at 6 p.m. June 17 on Channel 21. It will also stream on the district's Facebook page. Read the note below for key dates.

Restrictions and Updates

• Drive-in movies have reemerged during the coronavirus pandemic, and now they're coming to Berkeley. The Township will show three drive-in movies at Veterans Park. Municipal parks have also reopened. MORE.
• The Trenton Diocese approves of Governor Phil Murphy's directive to allow in-car religious services. The Diocese provided directives Friday for outdoor, drive-in services during the coronavirus pandemic. MORE.
• Mill Creek County Park reopened Thursday. 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.
• 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

A Berkeley family surprised their college graduate with a commencement in their backyard. 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. He has since reopened certain parts of New Jersey's economy. 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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