Westfield Mayor Updates Coronavirus Cases

Caren Lissner
Updated ·4 min read

WESTFIELD, NJ — Westfield Mayor Shelley Brindle said in an update on Friday night that the town had confirmed three new coronavirus cases since the last update on Tuesday, bringing the total among residents to 394 since the beginning of the pandemic.

This case total is up only 11 since Tuesday, Sept. 15, when Brindle reported a total of 383 cases.

She said that in the past week, one case was associated with a reported "cluster" among employees at a bar/restaurant in Scotch Plains.

"As announced last week, I will be using Friday updates strictly for the purposes of reporting weekly data from the Department of Health, with my more expansive updates to continue every Tuesday going forward," Brindle noted.

Past coronavirus statistics

The total fatalities remain at 43 since the most recent death on June 3.

During the last week of August, Brindle announced that Westfield had gone a week without a new covid case. Then, there was an uptick.

Westfield High School closed its on-site education for two weeks in September after six students were reported to have the virus. Some parents complained because school sports were canceled as well. See the superintendent's letter here.

Here are some other recent Westfield coronavirus and reopening updates:

HOW TO GET TESTED

  • Union County has added mobile walk up test sites in addition to the testing site located at Kean University. Testing is free for Union County residents and is by appointment only with no car required; participants must wear masks and observe social distance. Any Union County resident can make an appointment for a test, whether they have symptoms. To pick a location, date and time, and to make an appointment online, visit ucnj.org/coronavirus-update/walk-up.

  • Union County residents who need to make an appointment by phone can call 908-518-4307 for assistance. Non-profit organizations and other community groups can call the Union County Office of Emergency Management at 908-654-9881 to request a visit from the Mobile Test Unit.

ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT/DINING

  • See past Westfield Patch stories about Halloween and Addamsfest events.

  • Tickets for the Westfield 300 Summer Movie Series are free but require advance registration here.

  • Read about updated Quimby Street events, rules, and street closings here.

  • Indoor dining is allowed at 25 percent capacity. For a list of rules, click here.

  • To read about outdoor dining in Westfield, click here.

  • Gov. Murphy recently signed an executive order allowing gyms, health clubs, and indoor amusement facilities to reopen at 25 percent capacity effective Sept. 1. Equipment must be adjusted to allow a minimum of six feet of distance, and must be sanitized between uses. Everyone must wear masks. More details can be found here.

NATIONAL TRENDS

HOW TO GET HELP WITH HEAT, RENT, AND MORE

  • During the State of Emergency in New Jersey, no tenant is permitted to be evicted from their home or apartment for the inability to pay rent. Talk to your local mayor's office if you are experiencing difficulties.

  • The CARES act has made money available to help with rent in each city. More information is here.

  • New Jersey residents can get help with heating and energy bills. Information is here.

  • Various other avenues of relief and benefits have also been made available, including family leave for 12 weeks if you can't work due to your child's school or camp being closed, and changes to unemployment rules to help those who were at a job for a short time, or freelancing.

LONG-TERM CARE

  • New Jersey residents have become alarmed at the high number of residents who have passed away in nursing homes, rehabs, and similar facilities. The state announced plans in May to increase testing at some long term care facilities and to bring in the National Guard to help make changes.

  • The state released death toll statistics for long-term care facilities like rehabs and nursing homes. See the list here.

  • You can report problems with long term care facilities here, or if you suspect coronavirus related misconduct, here.

  • Some New Jersey long-term care facilities reopened for limited visits, with precautions, in July.

  • Other states have been dealing with nursing home deaths more recently, including a recent outbreak in a Texas nursing home.

Here are statewide coronavirus resources:

  • NJ COVID-19 Information Hub: https://covid19.nj.gov/

  • General COVID-19 questions: 2-1-1

  • NJ COVID-19 hotline: (800) 222-1222

Got news? Email caren.lissner@patch.com. To be the first to get news alerts with breaking stories in Westfield, or to get a free local newsletter each morning, sign up for Patch breaking news alerts or daily newsletters.

This article originally appeared on the Westfield Patch