Health & Fitness

COVID Cases Remain High In South Brunswick Over Thanksgiving Week

Town officials warned of a spike in cases in the coming week. Here's what South Brunswick is doing to combat the spread of COVID.

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ — South Brunswick reported 51 new COVID positive cases over the week of Thanksgiving – 22 male, 29 female, and 11 below the age of 18.

For a second week in a row, COVID cases remain high in South Brunswick, the office of emergence management said.

The average age of those who tested positive is 39 years old.

Find out what's happening in South Brunswickfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Prior to the holidays, state officials had asked residents to avoid travel and large gatherings.

The new number represents a 4 percent decrease in cases than reported the previous week. However, it remains the town's largest number of new cases reported in a single week since April.

Find out what's happening in South Brunswickfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

With more testing being conducted, town officials anticipate an increase in reported cases over the coming week. Additionally, 14 cases were also reported from previous weeks.

South Brunswick Township currently has 865 cases of residents who have tested positive.

Due to the growing number of COVID cases, the town has implemented new schedules to existing services.

Here are the changed schedules and new guidelines:

  • Public Library Service Changes

The South Brunswick Public Library has paused its phased reopening, to ensure the safety of the public and staff. Browse-and-Go hours have ended. Customers can order reading materials, audiobooks, DVDs and other items seven days a week through Contact Free Pickup at the Library.

Read More Here: South Brunswick Library Changes Service Model Due To COVID

For more information on all available library services, please visit https://www.sbpl.info/services-update/

  • Schools

South Brunswick public schools are currently in virtual learning mode, with no students or teachers in the buildings until at least Dec. 14. But that date may be extended further due to the course of the pandemic.

Read More Here: South Brunswick School District Goes Full-Remote Until Dec. 14

  • Sporting Events

Effective Dec. 5 through Jan. 2, 2021, all youth and adult sports are being placed on hold. Exceptions are made for collegiate-level and professional teams.

  • Travel advisory list

A total of 46 states are now on NJ’s Travel Advisory list. The states not on the list are Connecticut, Delaware, New York, and Pennsylvania. NJ Department of Health recommends not travelling outside of New Jersey, unless there is a need to cross state lines for work, school, worship, or other essential travel.

Read More Here: NJ Expands Coronavirus Travel Quarantine List To 46 States

Updates State Guidelines

Governor Murphy Signed Executive Order Pausing Indoor Practices and Competitions for Youth and Adult Sports and Lowering Limits on Outdoor Gatherings

  • Outdoor Gatherings

Wedding ceremonies, funerals, memorial services, and religious and political activities are not subject to the outdoor gatherings limit. All other types of gatherings, such as a high school football game or an outdoor concert, will be limited to 25 individuals. Athletes, coaches, referees and other individuals necessary for a professional or collegiate sports competition are not counted towards the 25-person limit.

For other adult and youth sports occurring outdoors, the number of individuals necessary for a game or practice can exceed the 25-person limit, but only if no individuals who are not necessary for the event, such as spectators, are present.

Outdoor gatherings continue to be subject to strict social distancing restrictions, including the requirement to wear masks whenever it is not possible to social distance.

  • Addiction Support Groups

Indoor meetings of addiction groups, such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, are not limited to 10 individuals, but will instead be limited to 25 percent of the capacity of the room in which they take place, up to a maximum of 150 individuals.

Testing Locations

There is an increasing demand for testing. To find nearby places to get tested click the link to search for a location - https://covid19.nj.gov/pages/testing#test-sites

Middlesex County Health Department offers free COVID testing. Click the link to schedule an appointment - http://www.middlesexcountynj.gov/Government/Departments/PSH/Pages/COVID-19--Testing.aspx

Thank you for reading. Have a correction or news tip? Email sarah.salvadore@patch.com

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