Bergen Coronavirus Update: 81 Police Staffers Test Positive

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — As of Friday morning, Bergen County had a total of 8,384 cases of the new coronavirus, and 345 residents had died, according to the New Jersey Department of Health.

In a news conference Thursday afternoon, County Executive Jim Tedesco said 81 civilians and officers working in the county's police departments had tested positive for the virus, and another 199 were under mandatory quarantine. Of the police department staffers who tested positive, six have been cleared to return to work.

The county is still working to secure necessary medical items and personal protective equipment, Tedesco said. So far, it has been able to secure 500,000 gloves, 10,000 eye goggles, 3,000 face shields, over 200,000 masks and thousands of gallons of disinfectant at a cost of over $3.5 million.

Tedesco said the county was also able to secure more ventilators, five of which were delivered on Monday.

"We know each piece of critical care equipment, like the ventilators, may mean one more of our bergen family members will be able to return home," he said.

FEMA is staging ambulances at Met Life Stadium starting Friday to support EMS services in Essex, Hudson and Bergen Counties, Tedesco said. The county has also bought a 53-foot refrigerated trailer to keep at the medical examiner's office for additional body storage, he said.

Bergen County, he said, has also secured 6,000 new tests that can identify people sick with COVID-19, as well as asymptomatic carriers. The test can deliver results in 15 minutes through the simple prick of a finger. Tedesco said the county hopes to deploy the new tests by the end of the month, pending FDA approval.

The county is also going to work with the Army Corps of Engineers to adapt a gymnasium at Bergen New Bridge into an overflow hospital site, adding upwards of 100 more beds, he said.

All the county's testing sites will be closed Sunday, April 12, in observance of Easter, Tedesco said. The testing site at Bergen New Bridge Medical center (230 East Ridgewood Avenue in Paramus) is by appointment only.

The New Bridge testing center is open to all Bergen County residents who are symptomatic of COVID-19. As of Friday, it also provides testing for first responders, health care professionals and Bergen County employees, regardless of their home addresses, as long as they can provide a qualifying photo ID.

The county is continuing to accept donations of personal protective equipment at 220 East Ridgewood Avenue in Paramus, Monday - Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Hospitals and testing:

• Passaic County offers drive-thru testing at William Paterson University.
• Hackensack Meridian offers COVID19 testing at its nine urgent care centers in Monmouth and Ocean counties.
• Immediate care of Marlboro is offering a drive-thru COVID19 test in the Marlboro Medical Arts site located at 479 Rt 520 in Marlboro. Testing is by appointment only at (855) 925-5467 ext 0.
• The PNC Bank Arts Center is a regional FEMA drive-thru test location and is open for testing every other day from 8 a.m. to 4pm for up to 500 persons per day. Click here for PNC Arts Test Center info & schedule.
• On every Saturday, the PNC Bank Arts Center site will be dedicated to symptomatic health care workers and first responders -- police, fire, and EMS -- with valid credentials only. The general public will not be able to access this site on Saturdays.
• Central Jersey Urgent Care is testing up to 80 patients daily at Eatontown, Howell and Marlboro.

How It Spreads

The virus that causes COVID-19 is spreading from person-to-person. Someone who is actively sick with COVID-19 can spread the illness to others. That is why CDC recommends that these patients be isolated either in the hospital or at home (depending on how sick they are) until they are better and no longer pose a risk of infecting others.

There is currently no vaccine for COVID-19.

While the best way to prevent illness is to avoid virus exposure, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention always recommends taking preventive actions to contain the spread of viruses. This includes:

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipes.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.