HARVEY CEDARS, NJ – More than two dozen first responders from two New Jersey coastal towns have tested positive for the coronavirus after being together socially, authorities said.
Authorities said first responders are from Harvey Cedars and Surf City, neighboring districts of Long Beach Island.
Harvey Cedards Mayor Jonathan Oldham said island health officials on Thursday alerted the group to the group and that first responders were quarantined until doctors cleared them. The Long Beach Island health director told WHYY that the guards were apparently together at two “social gatherings” earlier this month.
Harvey Cedars said Saturday that 17 lifeguards, all of whom had “attended a party in Surf City,” had tested positive for COVID-19. The island’s director of health previously said a dozen Surf City rescuers had tested positive.
Harvey Cedars said on its website that it has 73 lifeguards and, therefore, “our beaches will continue to be equipped with all safety protocols.” Surf City said its beaches “will remain protected from 10 am to 5 pm every day,” but “adjustments can be made from day to day to ensure the safety of all clients and guards.”
New Jersey officials previously announced more than 500 new positive cases of COVID-19 and 11 additional deaths confirmed as associated with the virus, bringing the total number of deaths associated with the virus in the state to 13,867.
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