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 591 coronavirus cases and 79 deaths in Berkeley as of Tuesday afternoon. At this time last week, the OCHD had counted 549 cases and 74 deaths in Berkeley.

The OCHD reported 49 new cases Monday in Ocean County, bringing the county's total to 8,367 cases as of Tuesday afternoon. The virus has killed 691 people in Ocean County.

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

• Crystal Lake Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center: 62 cases and 25 deaths among residents, 46 cases among staff
• Tallwoods Care Center: 18 cases and two deaths among residents, 10 cases among staff

The State's data on longterm-care facilities includes confirmed cases and no suspect cases.

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.

Hackensack Meridian Urgent Care can test whether patients were previously infected with the coronavirus. Hackensack Meridian's urgent care centers began antibody testing May 2. Nearby locations include Forked river and Toms River.

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 school districts will be permitted to hold outdoor graduation ceremonies with social distancing beginning in July, Gov. Phil Murphy announced Tuesday. Murphy made the announcement on Twitter, saying the ceremonies, which can begin July 6, must "comply with social distancing – ensuring the health and safety of all in attendance." MORE.
• Before Murphy's announcement, Central Regional had plans in the works for a virtual graduation. Patch will update on any changes to graduation plans.
• We're building a virtual yearbook, profiling local grads from Central Regional and New Jersey, but we need your help to do it. MORE.

Restrictions and Updates

• Berkeley Township farmers markets are back. Here's more detail on how they'll operate this season. MORE.
• Berkeley officials are fighting to get the Township more federal coronavirus aid. Mayor Carmen Amato has communicated with lawmakers in the Senate and House to plead for expansion of municipalities like his. MORE.
• Memorial Day weekend often signals the unofficial beginning of summer on the Jersey Shore. It did the same last weekend, bringing a dose of familiarity to summer activities while also providing a preview of how the coronavirus may affect the shore this summer. MORE.
• The off-leash dog park at the Ocean County Air Park in Berkeley reopened Friday. MORE.
• 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 for outdoor, drive-in services during the coronavirus pandemic. MORE.
• Mill Creek County Park reopened. 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 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.
• 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.

Here's what else you should know:

• Throughout May, Murphy was releasing "hard dates" and more specifics on New Jersey's plans to reopen its economy, schools, daycare, summer camps and public transit during the coronavirus crisis. And he was expected to provide more details over the course of the month, and into June. Read more: Gov. Murphy: 'Hard Dates' For NJ Coronavirus Reopening (UPDATE)
• 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

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 Berkeley Patch on Facebook. Have a news tip? Email josh.bakan@patch.com.