Woodbridge Neighbors Who Dined Together Caused COVID Spike: Mayor

WOODBRIDGE, NJ — Coronavirus is indeed still spreading in New Jersey: Woodbridge Township, which has been tracking cases, said a sudden spike this past Friday is attributed to two families who live next door to each other, and had dined together recently.

The neighbors ate inside a private home, Woodbridge Mayor John McCormac said. He said an example like this also shows the importance of contact tracing.

On Friday, Aug. 28, the Woodbridge health department received 12 new cases of COVID-19, a figure that raised eyebrows because Woodbridge has not had that many cases since July 14, when 12 were reported that day as well.

COVID cases had been steadily trending downwards all summer before this.

Township health officials investigated and "after further investigation, there were two sources for the large Friday increase," said McCormac. "First, several cases were from two families who are next-door neighbors and who dined together recently. Second, several other cases work for the same out-of-town company, which has since been closed down."

The meal took place inside a private home. McCormac said due to health privacy, he was not permitted to share any more information.

But —

"That’s certainly better news than 12 random cases in one day throughout the Township and it proves why contact tracing is so important," said McCormac.

Woodbridge Township actually hired several school nurses over the summer to help do contact tracing "and it has paid off," said McCormac.

Since Woodbridge started tracking cases in March, there have been 2,871 total coronavirus cases in Woodbridge, and 142 deaths. However, cases have steadily been dropping: Woodbridge had 116 cases in July, and about 100 for August. Compare that to April, when Woodbridge was routinely recording about 80 new cases per day.

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