At least 20 first responders on Long Beach Island (LBI), NJ, tested positive for the coronavirus after attending a party together, according to health officials.
Jonathan Oldham, LBI Township Mayor Harvey Cedars, said the director of the LBI Health Department informed the county clerk of the coronavirus outbreak on Thursday, according to NJ.com.
“I just found out that they were together, exactly where they were or what it was, I’m not sure, but I understand that they were together at an event,” Oldham told NJ.com on Friday.
LBI Health Department officials said more than 20 first responders had been infected.
The Hill contacted the department to clarify the exact number of first responders who were reportedly infected but did not immediately respond.
The mayor added that first responders, about a dozen from Harvey Cedars and Surf City, would be quarantined and not allowed to return to work without the approval of a doctor.
Health department director Daniel Krupinski told Philadelphia public radio station WHYY on Friday that the department received reports of COVID-19 infections from Surf City first responders on July 18 and first responders Harvey Cedars on 19 July. July.
Gov. Phil Murphy announced Friday that New Jersey had reported a steady decline in new coronavirus cases in the past two weeks.
Despite hopeful trends, Oldham said he was concerned about the recent cluster of cases, encouraging residents to keep a safe distance and wear a mask.
The number of virus-related deaths rose slightly this week according to a report on Friday, with 36 new deaths, bringing the state’s total deaths to 15,765.
.
