Point Pleasant Cases Jump In Sept. As COVID-19 Spreads At Shore

POINT PLEASANT — Despite the fact that new cases have flattened statewide, Point Pleasant Boro's coronavirus presence increased over the past month.

Cases rose from 294 on Sept. 3 to 312 on Monday, a 6 percent increase.

Point Pleasant Boro's fatalities have actually declined slightly since then, falling from 28 to 27.

New Jersey had 617 new COVID cases on Thursday, its highest two-day total of cases since Aug. 14. Many of them were at the Jersey Shore.

Indeed, Ocean County became the first county in weeks to have a single-day triple-digit total of new cases on Thursday, with 112 new cases revealed. The county also had the highest new-case total of any county on Friday: 93.

State Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said four contact tracers have been redeployed to Ocean County to investigate if the new cases are related — and if this means that New Jersey has a new outbreak.

Persichilli said New Jersey has seen new cases linked to not only to celebratory gatherings but also solemn gatherings such as in funerals.

"No matter the reason, this increase in cases reminds us that this virus is unrelenting," she said. "It treats everyone the same. We are fighting an invisible enemy, and we must continue to be cognizant of that fact, and we must continue to be vigilant to protect ourselves and our loved ones."

Monmouth County also saw 238 new cases last week (Sept. 13-19). Of those, 49.5 percent involved people under 25 years old, said Freeholder Director Thomas Arnone.

The bulk of those exposures are from youth athletic facilities, school sports practices and gatherings that occurred during Labor Day weekend, said Arnone.

As Patch reported just this past week, there was a cluster of 13 COVID cases among youth ice hockey teams that practice at the Middletown Sports Complex.

Point Pleasant Boro officials say they've also had cases at a nursing home.

"It should be noted that a large portion of our cases here in Point Pleasant have come from nursing homes and adult care facilities as with so many other communities," Point Pleasant Boro Mayor Robert Sabosik has said in a statement to residents.

In June, Crest Pointe Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center in Point Pleasant reported that the facility had 85 patients diagnosed with the coronavirus and 22 members of staff. Nineteen residents had died.

"We know this because nursing homes and care facilities are required to report their numbers and that has become public information. These facilities house some of our most vulnerable residents and our thoughts and prayers are with them as they are with everyone."

It's not known if the summer also had an impact. Gov. Phil Murphy has pointed to the Jersey Shore and the crowds at various bars and restaurants as a reason for why he postponed the reopening of indoor dining in June. He then reopened indoor dining earlier this month.

Indeed, Point Pleasant Beach's numbers have remained largely flat since Sept. 3, rising from 39 to 43. Five people have died, but none since Sept. 3.

Customers at Jenkinson's and elsewhere in the Point Pleasant area have largely followed social distancing guidelines since Murphy singled out the establishment for not following the rules. Read more: Jenkinson's In Point Pleasant Beach Praised For COVID Compliance

Read more: NJ Coronavirus, Reopen Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

Here are the latest local updates from Point Pleasant Boro and Point Pleasant Beach:

CASES:

• Point Pleasant Boro had 311 cases and 27 deaths as of Monday, Sept. 21st, and Point Pleasant Beach had 43 cases and 5 deaths, according to the Ocean County Health Department.

ASSISTANCE:

• A Point Pleasant woman has started a Facebook page to make sure the Jersey Shore gets the help it needs amid the outbreak. Read more: Point Pleasant Woman's 'COVID19 Response' Facebook Provides Help

BEACHES:

• Point Pleasant Beach reopened beaches on Friday, May 15. Read more: Point Pleasant Beach To Begin Reopening Beaches On Friday
• Point Pleasant Beach's boardwalk and northern beaches reopened Friday, May 29, Mayor Paul M. Kanitra announced. The restart paved the way for Jenkinson's beaches to reopen. Read more: Point Pleasant Beach Boardwalk To Reopen Friday
• Point Pleasant Boro reopened its beaches and park boardwalk. Read more: Point Pleasant Boro Beaches, Park Boardwalk To Be Reopened

BUSINESSES:

• Frye Brewing has a new product that even firefighters say is what Point Pleasant needs right now during the crisis. Read more: Frye Brewing's 'Home Flight Kit' Is What Point Pleasant Needs
• Morgan Taylor, a waitress at The Ark, got the "most amazing breath of fresh air" before non-essential businesses were shut. Read more: As Point Pleasant Beach Businesses Shut, A 'Breath Of Fresh Air'
• Stephanie "Petey" Cucci, the owner of PETEY'S US SUBS in Point Pleasant Boro, is doing what she calls a ST. MARY'S SUB. Her sister, Cate, says "wonderful and kind people" have been donating to a fund that allows people who can't afford a meal to get a half sub, a drink and chips. Read more: Petey's In Point Pleasant Is Helping The Hungry Amid Coronavirus
• The Point Pleasant area has participated in #thefrontstepschallenge with EVN FLO photography by Tim McGeough. Tim took pictures of people on their front porch, each of them projecting some semblance of normaliy in a very abnormal world. Read more: See The Photos In Point Pleasant Boro That Could Help Feed People

GOVERNMENT ACTION AND FINANCES:

• Point Pleasant Boro agreed to follow Gov. Phil Murphy's lead and has extended the grace period for paying property taxes. Read more: Point Pleasant Boro Agrees To Grace Period For Property Taxes
• Point Pleasant Boro schools warned about a potential "drop off" in revenues as the region continues to deal with the fallout from the coronavirus outbreak. Read more: Point Pleasant Boro Warns: Budget May Get Worse Amid Coronavirus

HOSPITALS AND TESTING:

• 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.

OTHER CANCELLATIONS/CLOSURES

• All recreation and pre-school programs were closed earlier in the year in Point Pleasant Boro because of the coronavirus outbreak. Read more: Point Pleasant Boro Closes All Recreation Programs, Pre-School
• Point Pleasant Boro also closed several summer camp programs because of the coronavirus crisis. Read more: Point Pleasant Boro Closes Summer Camps

PERSONAL STORIES:

• She currently added sewing face masks and has been handing them out in Point Pleasant to protect her community from COVID-19. Read more: 'A True Blessing:' Point Pleasant Woman Makes Slippers, Blankets
• With balloon bombs, Kristine has been using her spare time to spread joy to the children in her hometown by taking custom orders. Read more: Point Pleasant Woman 'Spreads Joy To Children' Amid Coronavirus
• This Point Pleasant nurse goes to work to take care of patients with COVID-19 without thinking twice. She puts her heart and soul into taking care of her patients. Read more: 'Heart And Soul:' Point Pleasant Nurse, Mother Is Hero
• This Point Pleasant resident was/is sewing masks and giving them away to those in need. She volunteered her time and financial resources to do so. Read more: 'Action-Oriented:' Point Pleasant Mask-Making Hero
• A Point Pleasant Boro resident paid to sanitation and postal workers who arrived at her door, or pulled her cans. Read more: Sanitation, Postal Workers Saluted In Point Pleasant Boro
• A tribute to a great nurse friend and mother. Read more: Point Pleasant Hero Is 'Great Nurse And Mother'
• Point Pleasant residenrs paid tribute to First Aid and other EMS heroes. Read more: 'They Come To Our Aid:' Point Pleasant Medical, First Aid Heroes
• A Point Pleasant Beach woman talked to The Asbury Park Press about the anguish she went through when her son, 3, contracted the virus. Read more: Point Beach Mom's Reported Coronavirus Scare With 3-Year-Old Son

SCHOOLS:

• Point Pleasant Boro schools have developed a reopening plan. Read more: More Details Released On Point Pleasant Boro's School Reopen Plan
• Point Pleasant Beach schools have developed a reopening plan. Read more: Here's Exactly How Point Pleasant Beach Will Reopen Its Schools

TRIBUTES:

• The Bay Head Fire Co. announced the passing of firefighter Dave Clark, who died following a long and tough battle with the COVID-19 virus. Read more: Bay Head Firefighter Dies From Coronavirus

VIOLATIONS:

• The owner of a Point Boro e-cigarette shop was charged with breaking the stay-at-home order in the coronavirus outbreak, police said. Read more: Point Pleasant Boro 'E. Cig' Shop Broke Coronavirus Order: Police
• A Point Pleasant Beach woman was charged with yelling "pigs! oink, oink!" at cops and blowing on EMTs, saying she had the coronavirus. Read more: Point Beach Woman Yells Coronavirus, 'Pigs! Oink!' At Police: PD
• A woman in Point Pleasant Boro was arrested after she implied she has the coronavirus – and even repeated the words "corona" and "virus" when she attacked officers, police said. Read more: Woman Attacks Point Pleasant Boro Cops, Saying 'Coronavirus:' PD
• A Point Pleasant Beach man was charged with the theft of N95 respirator masks from a business, prosecutors said. Read more: Point Pleasant Beach Man Charged With Theft Of Respirator Masks
• Two people were charged for having a home rental in Point Beach that violated local restrictions amid the coronavirus crisis. Read more: 2 Charged For Point Pleasant Beach Home Rental Amid Coronavirus
• A business owner was charged with breaking New Jersey's coronavirus outbreak restrictions because she allowed workouts at her gym, police said. Read more: Gym Workouts In Point Pleasant Boro Broke Coronavirus Order: Cops
• A 37-year-old resident was charged with saying, "Do you want corona? Do you want to die?" to a woman at Sundaes ice cream, according to the Office of Attorney General. Read more: Woman Told 'Do You Want Corona?' Outside Point Boro Ice Cream: AG

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