Latest Lacey Coronavirus Updates

LACEY, 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 Lacey.

Cases

The Ocean County Health Department has reported 210 coronavirus cases and 11 deaths in Lacey as of Tuesday afternoon.

The OCHD reported 83 new cases in Ocean County on Tuesday, bringing the county total to 8,401. The virus has killed 692 people in the county, according to officials. Click here for daily updates.

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 in Forked River can test whether patients were previously infected with the coronavirus. Hackensack Meridian's urgent care centers began antibody testing May 2. MORE.

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.
• Patch will provide updates on any end-of-the-year plans from Lacey. The Lacey Township School District brainstormed ways to address year-end events. Click here for a note from Superintendent Dr. Vanessa P. Clark.
• Salute your 2020 Lacey grad on Patch. We're building a virtual yearbook, profiling local grads from across Lacey and New Jersey, but we need your help to do it. MORE.

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

Restrictions and Updates

• 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.
• Lacey resident Jeff Borghoff has 3D printed personal protective equipment for first responders while raising awareness about younger onset Alzheimer's. 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.
• Eno's Pond County Park recently reopened. 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 Lacey hero.
• Ocean County began gradually reopening its parks and public lands last week. MORE.
• 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.
• New Jersey marinas will be open during the coronavirus crisis, Gov. Phil Murphy said. 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.

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