Wayne Reports 157 Coronavirus Cases In 1st Week Of December

WAYNE, NJ — According to data from the township, there were 157 new coronavirus cases reported in Wayne during the first week of December, three more than the entire month of October.

No deaths have been reported in December, according to the township.

In October, Vergano said the numbers were headed in the wrong direction when the town reported 154 cases for the entire month.

But a steady increase in case numbers isn't a new trend to report, and, on Wednesday, Passaic County reported 407 new positives of the coronavirus, bringing the county total to 33,780.

And things could get worse.

New Jersey could see upwards of 12,000 cases of the coronavirus by early next year if it doesn't get control of the spread of the virus, and hospitalization rates could spike to their highest levels since the spring, Gov. Phil Murphy said on Wednesday.

Murphy doubled down in saying that he'd like to avoid a statewide shutdown, but all options remain on the table as the state received predictive numbers which paint a dark pictures of the days ahead.

READ MORE: Gov. Murphy Now Says NJ Daily COVID Cases Could Double To 12K

In Wayne, the public school district is already facing the reality of heightened coronavirus cases, and an overwhelmed system.

The Board of Education met last week and revealed that the coronavirus, and the positive cases of it across the district, have been causing staffing shortages among teachers, plenty of mandatory quarantines, and even difficulty staffing the school's transportation division.

Wayne Valley High School and Schuyler Colfax Middle School will remain on a virtual instruction model until January 2021, Superintendent Mark Toback announced in a letter.

"Currently, the WTPS Transportation Department reports that we are down 12 drivers and 7 transportation paras due to COVID related circumstances or are out on long term medical leave. We are able to cover the absences starting on December 7th only due to the fact that six private schools for the disabled serving Wayne students have closed for in-person instruction," the Board said.

"While we are able to cover for the short term, this is assuming no additional absences. We have no backup. Parents and students may experience delays or a loss of transportation services depending on the day and the daily call out list."

READ MORE: 2 Wayne Schools Institute Virtual Learning Until 2021

Thanks for reading! Keep up to date with what’s happening in your community by subscribing to your local Patch newsletter here.

Have a news tip or press release you’d like to submit? Need to request a correction? Email montana.samuels@patch.com.