Hillsborough Sees Coronavirus Cases, Deaths Increase
HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — Positive coronavirus cases and deaths continue to rise in Hillsborough with eight more cases being reported on Friday and two more deaths. There were also six positive COVID-19 cases reported on Thursday and six on Wednesday. This brings Hillsborough's total to 677 and 81 deaths as of Friday.
Hillsborough Health Officer Siobhan Spano said the cases are attributed to people getting comfortable and not taking precautions.
"Most people are going out more and letting their guard down," Spano said. "People are closer together and not wearing masks."
Spano also attributed the rise in cases in the township to college students traveling back and forth from school, township schools reopening for in-person learning, and sports.
However, there is no specific age range that is being affected in the new cases. The cases appear to be hitting ages across the board, Spano said.
With the holidays coming up, Spano is urging residents to take more precautions.
"People need to really think about where they are going, follow social distancing rules and wear masks," Spano said.
Spano noted the majority of residents asked to quarantine were not following social distancing rules or wearing masks.
"If we ever want to open everything back up we need to follow social distancing rules," Spano said. "Everyone has to work together."
To see Hillsborough's latest coronavirus numbers click here.
Hillsborough isn't alone in seeing a rise in cases. Nearby in Bridgewater, five cases were reported in the school district prompting the high school to switch to all-virtual learning on Friday. Read More: 4th Coronavirus Case Reported At Bridgewater-Raritan High School
On Tuesday, Gov. Phil Murphy noted that 10 New Jersey counties, including Somerset County, has backslid in its management of the pandemic.
State Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli, speaking during a Monday news conference, said New Jersey is seeing widespread increase in cases not because to any specific outbreaks or reopenings, but due to "community spread." Parties, gatherings, daycare and farms, however, are viewed as "contributing" to the rise in cases, she said. Read More: 10 More NJ Counties Backslide In Coronavirus Crisis: Here's Where
As of Friday, Somerset County has seen a total of 6,255 positive coronavirus cases and 518 deaths since the pandemic began in March.
Read more: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know
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This article originally appeared on the Hillsborough Patch
