Two Westfield Police Have Coronavirus, Mayor Says

WESTFIELD, NJ — Westfield Mayor Shelley Brindle said in a nightly update on Monday that three Westfield town employees have tested positive for coronavirus. Two are Westfield Police Officers and one is a member of the Building and Construction Office.

"Although none of them are Westfield residents," she wrote, "the proper contact tracing was completed by our Health Department to ensure all close contacts have been notified. We also have two additional employees with pending test results that we expect in the coming days, as our own workplace of colleagues is now beginning to see the firsthand impact of COVID-19."

She said, "For their protection first and foremost, as well as for business continuity purposes, all essential town employees have been operating in staggered shifts for two weeks, and will continue to do so for the duration of this crisis."

Don't miss local and statewide news alerts when they are announced. Sign up for free Patch breaking news alerts and daily newsletters.

She said Westfield had a total of 38 confirmed cases.

Brindle also noted that now, Union County residents can call to be tested for coronavirus.

On Monday afternoon, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said that 198 residents have died from the disease, including eight in one nursing home. More than 16,000 are confirmed to have it.

The CDC has released worldwide statistics on the demographics of coronavirus sufferers, although they only run through March 16. While the numbers show that older people are more likely to be hospitalized, officials have said they are seeing more cases of young people who are seriously ill — and a baby in Illinois died from the virus this past week.

Experts say that the novel coronavirus, because it's new, is more lethal and much harder to treat than the flu.

Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that include the common cold as well as much more serious diseases. The strain that emerged in China in late 2019, now called COVID-19, is related to others that have caused serious outbreaks in recent years, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the U.S. was on Jan. 21.

Residents who have questions about coronavirus can call 211 or contact the State of New Jersey's hotline at 1 (800) 222-1222.

Got a news tip or just want to reach out? Email caren.lissner@patch.com.