Westfield Coronavirus Update; Library Postpones Reopening

WESTFIELD, NJ — Two days after Mayor Shelley Brindle reported an uptick in coronavirus cases among young adults in Westfield — after two weeks without a new case — the local library said it would hold off on its "limited reopening," but will continue curbside service "out of an abundance of caution."

And on Sunday, Mayor Shelley gave a new update on Facebook: "Today we are reporting three new confirmed covid cases in Westfield. Two are between the ages of 20-22 and the other is a 50 year old. The state lab slows down over the weekend so this may be a bit underreported, and we fully expect to see additional cases this week as we manage this recent outbreak."

On Friday and Saturday, Mayor Shelley Brindle had given updates saying a total of 20 new cases of coronavirus had been confirmed in the township on those two days, most in adults aged 18-25. Each day, "three have been traced to attendance at parties," Brindle said.

On Sunday, Library Director Phil Israel wrote, “The Library Board of Trustees, the Board of Health and the Town of Westfield have decided that we must postpone the limited re-opening of the library until a future date has been decided and the number of cases in Westfield declines again. The library is a popular gathering space and we are eager to re-open, but not until we can ensure the safety of our patrons and staff.” (See link for full message).

Tracing it to parties and travel

The new uptick was big news because New Jersey had seen a steady decline in new coronavirus cases since the death toll peaked in April. In Westfield and other towns, the number of new cases had dropped to zero by mid-June.

But as the state slowly reopened, and people traveled to states with earlier reopenings, cases rose.

Some North Jersey cities have said that their contract tracing showed that an uptick was due to out-of-state travel to states that reopened earlier than New Jersey. In fact, on Sunday, Florida confirmed more than 15,000 cases in one day, and broke records over the previous few days.

Commenters on social media about the Westfield uptick have asked whether it was also related to recent protests held across the country. The Westfield protest for racial justice was held over a month ago, on June 8. At least one city with a protest last month said that no one in that town tested positive in connection with the local protests.

Saturday afternoon, Brindle wrote, "This is a brief update outside of my regularly scheduled emails to notify everyone that today we received confirmation of 11 new COVID cases, nine of which are between the ages of 18-21, and two are between the ages of 22-25. Three have been traced to attendance at parties, while the remaining are still under investigation. This makes 28 cases since June 30, and the fifth highest day total since our first case was confirmed on March 14."

Brindle added, "To reiterate what I said yesterday, if you feel you have been exposed, please do two things: Get tested, and begin to self-quarantine immediately for 14 days. It’s important to do both. I hope this spike serves as a reminder that we all have a responsibility to remain vigilant to mitigate community spread. Wash your hands. Keep a safe distance. Wear a face covering."

She signed off with, "Working together, we can get this genie back in the bottle."

On Sunday, Brindle wrote on Facebook:

<blockquote>

I want to implore everyone that this is not a time to assign blame or public shame, but rather take personal responsibility. We are still in the middle of a pandemic as evidenced by what is happening in other states.

I have heard from numerous residents that people have returned from hot spot states and are not quarantining in spite of the governor’s directive. If we’re frustrated that young adults are not behaving responsibly, then we have a responsibility as adults to model the appropriate behavior.

This recent outbreak should wake us all up that the threat of this virus is still here, and it’s important to remain vigilant even as things have begun to open up. Thankfully, many of the young adults testing positive are asymptomatic or only experiencing mild symptoms, but there remains a risk of community spread and that more vulnerable members of the population may get infected, so it must be taken very seriously.

</blockquote>

The state has asked New Jersey residents to self-quarantine and get tested after coming back from 19 states. Three new states were added Tuesday after the original sixteen.

This past Wednesday, July 8, Murphy reported 335 new cases in 24 hours and 53 more deaths, bringing the death toll to 13, 476.

But this rate is down from New Jersey's peak: a high of 460 deaths in 24 hours on April 30, or one person every three minutes.

On Wednesday, Gov. Phil Murphy ordered residents to wear masks outdoors in areas where they must be near other people. New studies have supported the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommendation that mask-wearing is very helpful in cutting down on (but not eliminating entirely) the spread of the virus, particularly if both parties near each other are wearing one.

In her opening remarks for the Westfield Town Council meeting on June 30, mayor Shelley Brindle said the town has not gotten word of a new coronavirus case since June 17. The total number of cases remained 282.

The town has lost 42 residents to the virus, the last one noted on June 3, and 82-year-old woman.

Brindle said at the time, "I would be remiss if I did not remind everyone about the rising levels of covid-19 in a number of states with far less restrictions than we experienced here in New Jersey. With summer upon us and many folks traveling, please be considerate of the community and adhere to the quarantine guidelines set forth by the state."

Visit covid19.nj.gov/testing for more information. Or see this link to information about Union County testing.

For past Westfield coronavirus updates, statistics, testing information, and reopening updates, see this story.

Got a news tip or just want to reach out? Email caren.lissner@patch.com. To keep up with breaking news in Westfield and statewide when it happens, and get a free local newsletter each morning, sign up for Patch breaking news alerts and daily newsletters.