The South Brunswick Office of Emergency Management is advising residents of rising COVID numbers in the community.
Last week the township saw 81 new cases, a 65% increase over the previous week, according to information provided on March 22.
This increase mirrors similar increases statewide, according to the statement, and New Jersey is now the leading state in the nation for new cases, according to Gov. Phil Murphy.
Health officials are unclear as to the exact cause of the increasing cases, according to the statement.
The state has identified more than 400 cases of coronavirus “variants of concern,” including 389 cases of the variant first identified in the U.K., seven cases of two California variants, three of the Brazil variant, and one South African variant. There are also 65 cases of the New York variant, which is considered “of interest” by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to the statement. There is no local data for variants.
It is important to recognize the continuing increase in cases and remain vigilant, township officials said. It has been over a year and “pandemic fatigue” is normal, but stopping the spread depends on everyone. Vaccinations remain one of the best hopes to contain the virus, and South Brunswick is one of the top vaccinated communities in the county, according to the statement.
The South Brunswick Office of Emergency Management is asking residents to double their efforts in the following areas:
- Wear a mask over the mouth and nose
- Avoid crowded areas
- Use social distancing by staying 6 feet apart
- Get vaccinated
Aside from the 81 new cases of residents testing positive this week, 17 cases were reported from previous weeks, according to the statement. This week, 46 women and 35 men tested positive with the average age being 35 years old.
There were 12 people under 18 who tested positive, according to the statement.
South Brunswick has recorded 2,327 residents with COVID-19 over the past year.
One new COVID related fatality was reported over the past week, placing the total number of deaths at 61 since March 2020, according to the statement.
Statewide, 1,870 people are hospitalized due to COVID as of March 22, a 2.7% increase in the number of hospitalizations from the previous week, according to the statement.
Middlesex County saw its numbers increase to 73,654 total cases.
