Latest Ocean City Coronavirus Updates

OCEAN CITY, 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 Ocean City and Cape May County.

Cases

The Cape May County Health Department has reported 11 active cases and 20 people cleared off quarantine in Ocean City as of Wednesday morning. No deaths have been reported in Ocean City.

Officials have reported 244 active cases, 199 people cleared off quarantine and 36 deaths in Cape May County as of Wednesday morning. Longterm-care facilities are linked to 126 active cases and 27 deaths in the county.

Here is the breakdown by municipality as of Wednesday morning:

The County said Tuesday there is one active case in an Ocean City longterm-care facility. State officials have reported 11 coronavirus cases and no deaths in The Shores at Wesley Manor as of Tuesday. The State's reports on longterm-care facilities don't clarify how many cases are active in each location.

Testing

Cape May County drive-thru testing is available for CompleteCare patients and county residents who are sick with symptoms of fever, cough and shortness of breath and meet a certain criteria.

Symptomatic first responders who are residents of the county will also be given priority testing. In order to receive testing, individuals can go to CompleteCareNJ.org/COVID19 or call 609-465-0258 and request to be screened. Web registration is best, according to officials.

If you are not a CompleteCare patient, obtain a script from your doctor. Once you have the script do the following:

1. Go to completecarenj.org.
2. Read the statement and click "I understand."
3. Click request an appointment on right of screen.
4. Complete requested information.
5. Await call from CompleteCare staff to review symptoms.
6. CompleteCare will forward script to Health Department.
7. Health Department staff will call and schedule the appointment.

The test will be free of charge and no co-pay will be required for the screening. Translation services are available for those in need.

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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.
• The Ocean City School District has a resource guide for remote learning and support.

Restrictions and Updates

• Ocean City's lone contested City Council election is too close to call as of Wednesday morning. Jody Levchuk leads incumbent Anthony Wilson by 10 votes (557-547). Election results will likely be available Friday, according to officials. MORE.
• Social Distance Ambassadors will soon patrol Cape May County. The County will place the volunteers in high-volume areas, such as boardwalks. MORE.
• Ocean City reopened its beaches and boardwalk last weekend for certain activities. Here are some reactions from our readers.
• County officials began allowing seasonal rentals Monday. Short-term rentals would commence June 1.
• Cape May County's closed beaches and boardwalks could reopen soon under a proposal from Cape May County officials. The county's freeholders, mayors and business community submitted a plan Tuesday to Governor Phil Murphy for gradually reopening the area. MORE.
• Shore Medical Center and Cape Regional Medical Center didn't qualify for federal funding. Both hospitals say that they urgently need additional funding. MORE.
• Corson's Inlet State Park closed its beaches until further notice Saturday, less than a day after the park reopened. Cape May County also parks reopened Saturday. MORE.
• It's too soon to tell the state of Ocean City beaches by Memorial Day weekend, officials told Patch on April 28. 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 an Ocean City hero.
• Gov. Phil Murphy on April 27 offered hope for some semblance of normality at the Jersey Shore this summer, beginning on Memorial Day. But he said that the "new normal" at the beach won't likely look anything like it did last summer. MORE.
• 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.
• Open or closed? Patch created a a simple Open-or-Closed Directory for local businesses. Here's how to get listed.
• Cape May County created a Business Recovery Task Force. 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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