There have been seven deaths over past week, average of 51 new cases a day
By DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
The number of active COVID-19 cases in Cape May County has been relatively stable over the past two months – much higher than earlier in the fall, but the numbers haven’t shifted greatly.
There was an average of 51 new cases a day over the past week and seven deaths attributed to the coronavirus between Dec. 28 and Jan. 3.
Overall, as of Sunday, Jan. 3, there were 479 active cases throughout the county’s communities, another 30 in long-term care (23 in Woodbine and six in Dennis Township) and only seven among non-residents, all in Cape May.
The Cape May cluster of non-resident cases spiked at more than 30 in December.
There were 359 new cases between Dec. 28 and Jan. 3.
There were four fatalities reported Jan. 2, a 62-year-old male, 68-year-old male and 94-year-old female from Wildwood and a 99-year-old female from Dennis Township. The death of a 61-year-old man from Woodbine was reported Dec. 31, and on Dec. 29 the Cape May County Department of Health reported an 86-year-old female from Dennis Township and an 84-year-old male from Ocean City had died.
Lower and Middle townships led with active cases, 128 and 108 respectively, followed by Ocean City with 56, Upper Township with 49 and 67 in the Wildwoods – 32 in Wildwood, 19 in Wildwood Crest, 15 in North Wildwood and three in West Wildwood.
Cape May had seven active cases, West Cape May had six and there were no active cases in Cape May Point.
New cases
On Sunday, there were 41 new cases, with 11 each in Lower and Middle townships, six in Dennis Township, four in Ocean City, two in Sea Isle City and one in Upper Township.
The Department of Health reported there were 61 new cases on Jan. 2, 40 on Jan. 1, 52 on Dec. 31, 61 cases on Dec. 30, 57 on Dec. 29 and 47 on Dec. 28 for an average of 51 and a total of 359 for the week.
Lower tops 1,000
Lower Township was the first community to report more than 1,000 cases since the pandemic began in New Jersey with 1,020 as of Sunday, which is almost a quarter of all county cases (4,469). There have been 855 in Dennis Township, 547 in Ocean City, 520 in Upper Township, 316 in Dennis Township, 266 in Wildwood, 247 in North Wildwood, 223 in Woodbine, 133 in Wildwood Crest, 106 in Cape May, 81 in Sea Isle City, 60 in Avalon, 34 in West Cape May, 31 in West Wildwood, 23 in Stone Harbor and seven in Cape May Point.
Long-term care deaths
Of the 84 fatalities in long-term care, there were 33 in Lower Township, 17 in Dennis Township, 12 each in Ocean City and Middle Township, and 10 in Woodbine.
Community fatalities
In the communities, there have been 58 deaths, including 13 in Lower Township, 10 in Middle Township, six each in Ocean City and Upper Township, five each in Wildwood and Woodbine, four in Dennis Township, three each in Cape May and North Wildwood, two in Sea Isle City and one in Wildwood Crest.
Crest Haven
The county-run Crest Haven Nursing and Rehabilitation Center was to get its first vaccine doses on Tuesday, Jan. 5. “This is the beginning of the next effort to vaccinate vulnerable populations, after the initial doses went to frontline health care workers,” a spokesman for the county said.
Statewide
As of Monday, Gov. Phil Murphy and State Health Commissioner Dr. Judith Persichilli reported New Jersey was just shy of 500,000 cases of COVID-19 since the first case on March 4. As of Monday, Jan. 4, there have been 494,317 cases.
There also have been 19,204 New Jersey residents who have died because of the coronavirus. That number includes 2,021 cases suspected, but not confirmed, caused by COVID-19.
The rate of transmission was at 0.92, meaning less than one person is being infected by someone with COVID-19.
Vaccinations continue
New Jersey has received 405,000 COVID-19 vaccines and by Monday had vaccinated 101,417 front-line medical workers and staff and residents of long-term care facilities.
State Health Commissioner Dr. Judith Persichilli said 120,000 does of the vaccine have been set aside for long-term care and most should be administered by the end of January. About 8,000 doses have been given in long-term care facilities.
She also put out a call to get more people to administer vaccinations.
Persichilli said there is a Medical Reserve Corps in every county and that anyone who is certified to do inoculations, including EMTs and other health professionals, are urged to sign up because more are needed to give the vaccinations to New Jersey residents.
She and the governor told residents to go online to covid19.nj.gov/vaccine to get updates and answers about vaccine. It also will be the portal to sign up for vaccines when the state moves to the next group of eligible residents.