11 NEW COVID-19 POSITIVE CASES REPORTED IN MONROE TOWNSHIP ON THURSDAY

4 IN LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES, 1 IN NJ TRAINING SCHOOL FOR BOYS, 6 COMMUNITY-WIDE

COVID-19 Cases received Thursday, April 30:  New positive cases 11

MONROE TOWNSHIP STATISTICS:  The following is a summary of the Monroe Township COVID-19 case data received from Middlesex County from March 14 to April 30. (Recovery data is not available at this time.)
TOTAL CASES: 512 as of April 30
MEN: 233 (45%) with an average age of 58 years old
WOMEN: 279 (55%) with an average age of 65 years old  

MyInstaDoc TESTING STATISTICS:  As of April 30, at the Monroe Township testing site, located at 298 Applegarth Road, they have tested 1,906 patients and 31.4% of the tests have come back positive. If you need a test, please visit their website at www.myinstadocmonroe.com.  Testing is available Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.  

MONROE PARKS TO OPEN AT SUNRISE TOMORROW:  In line with the Executive Order issued by Governor Murphy regarding the opening of NJ State Parks, the Monroe Township municipal parks and the community garden will open this Saturday at sunrise for passive recreation and gardening with the following restrictions:  limiting parking to 50% of maximum capacity; prohibiting parking in undesignated areas; no picnics; recommend wearing face masks; social distancing must be practiced except with immediate family members, caretakers, household members or romantic partners; no organized or contact activities or sports; no gatherings.  

STATE AND NJDOH STATISTICS:  

• 5,972 hospitalizations, down 28% from a high of 8,293 on April 14
• 1,724 individuals in ICU, 75% on ventilators
• 229,693 tests performed, positivity rate is 41.07%.
• 498 long-term care facilities in the state with COVID-19 cases; 19,153 COVID-19 cases in these facilities
• NJ is receiving 550,000 new tests kits and 750,000 swabs from the Federal Government. 359 nursing homes in NJ will be receiving a direct shipment of PPE.
• There are now 104 public testing sites throughout the state. And there are 73 privately operated sites.
• Governor Murphy said the rate of infection continues to slow and hospitalizations are dropping across the state as officials see hope the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic has passed while residents remain under stay-at-home orders and cope with widespread unemployment and business closings.Read the full NJ.com article here. 
• “We will be closely monitoring the situations at our parks and golf courses this weekend,” said Governor Murphy.“We know that the overwhelming majority of you will be doing the right thing, and following the need to keep a social distance from others.Don’t let a few knuckleheads ruin it for everyone.”
• Governor Murphy to update the public regarding reopening schools next week.

MESSAGE FROM GOVERNOR MURPHY:  

“It’s this simple: Data determines dates.  When we see our benchmarks on key factors, like testing or hospitalizations, we can begin considering a specific timetable. This graph (below) shows, by region, how many patients our hospitals are treating.  North Jersey and Central Jersey continue to see a downward trend. South Jersey has seen a relative leveling over the past five days.”

MONROE YOUTH USES HIS ALLOWANCE TO AID CORONAVIRUS FIGHT:  Just like any other kid, James Freeman has chores to do.  From cleaning his room and making his bed to brushing the cat and helping with yard work, the 13-year-old does it all around the house. But this seventh-grader takes his allowance and puts it toward helping those on the front line battling the coronavirus.  

Freeman’s mother put out a post on Facebook asking if anybody wanted ear guards, which makes a surgical mask much more comfortable for the person wearing it and eases the strain on ear cartilage.  The process to make them via Freeman’s 3D printer was incredibly easy, so he jumped at the chance to start doing something.  

 Read the full NJ.com article here.