South Brunswick Sees 43% Increase In Weekly COVID Cases

Sarah Salvadore
·4 min read

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ — On Monday, South Brunswick announced an increase in COVID-19 cases by 43 percent from last week.

Town officials said this is their largest number of new cases reported in a single week since April. Last week, 53 new residents tested positive for COVID-19, with the average age being 38 years. Twenty six male, and 27 females tested positive for the virus, with five people being under the age of 18.

South Brunswick currently has 800 cases of residents who have tested positive.

Township Manager Bernard P. Hvozdovic Jr., said the week after Thanksgiving will be crucial in fighting the virus.

“The next two weeks will be crucial in combatting the virus. The week after Thanksgiving is when residents need to be at their highest alert. Health officials tell us that people will have contacted the virus during the Thanksgiving weekend and may not show any signs till the first weekend of December,” said Hvozdovic.

He asked residents to limit their interactions, and wear face coverings to slow the spread of the virus.

“All the measurements we are seeing show a steady increase in the number of new cases over the coming weeks. If you can limit your travel, stay home as much as possible, and wear a face covering whenever you are not home, it will make a difference,” said police chief Raymond Hayducka.

“Remember the test results we are seeing now are people who contracted the disease up to two weeks ago, so the virus is not going to slow down in the near future unless we change our activity,” Hayducka said.

Meanwhile, South Brunswick school district has delayed the start of in-person classes under the hybrid model due to the COVID. Township officials said this date may be extended further if cases continue to spike.

Read More Here: South Brunswick School District Goes Full-Remote Until Dec. 14

With Thanksgiving just a few days away, town officials reminded residents of the guidelines issued by the state.

Here are the updated state guidelines:

Restrictions on gatherings (Executive Order 196):

  • Indoor gatherings are limited to a maximum of 10 people

  • Outdoor gatherings are limited to a maximum of 150 people

  • Exceptions are made for religious services or celebrations, political events, weddings, funerals, memorial services, performances, judicial and legislative proceedings.

  • Dining: Indoor dining will remain limited to 25% capacity

  • Given the current surge in COVID-19 cases, it is recommended that everyone only celebrate Thanksgiving with members of their household. Indoor gatherings are particularly dangerous places for COVID spread.

  • If you do gather with other households:

  • Keep Thanksgiving plans as small as possible. The smaller the gathering, the less likely it is that someone is infected and putting loved ones at risk.

  • Limit the number of attendees to allow people from different households to remain at least 6 feet apart.

  • Plan ahead and ask guests to avoid contact with people outside of their households for 14 days before the gathering.

  • Guests should avoid direct contact, including handshakes and hugs, with others outside their household.

  • Require guests to wear masks when not eating, whether indoors or outdoors.

  • Indoor gatherings pose more risk than outdoor gatherings. Host outdoor activities rather than indoor activities as much as possible.

  • If you do host indoors, increase ventilation by opening windows and doors or by placing central air and heating on continuous circulation.

  • Gatherings that last longer pose more risk than shorter gatherings.

  • Provide attendees with supplies to help everyone stay healthy, including extra masks, hand sanitizer, and tissues. Stock bathrooms with enough hand soap and single use towels.

  • Remind attendees to wash their hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and use hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.

  • Limit contact with commonly touched surfaces or shared items such as serving utensils. Use single-use options or identify one person to serve shareable items like salad dressings, food containers, plates and utensils, and condiments.

  • Encourage guests to avoid singing or shouting, especially indoors. Keep music levels down so people don't have to shout or speak loudly to be heard.

  • Remind invited guests to stay home if they have been exposed to the virus in the last 14 days, are showing COVID-19 symptoms, or recently travelled to an area or a state with high COVID-19 infection rates.

Town officials also reported an increase in demand for COVID-19 testing. Here’s a list of locations where you can get tested:

Here are some testing sites near South Brunswick:

Thank you for reading. Have a correction or news tip? Email sarah.salvadore@patch.com

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This article originally appeared on the South Brunswick Patch