State officials: Five more NJ residents test positive for coronavirus

Five more New Jersey residents have tested positive for the coronavirus, bringing the total number of residents who have tested positive in the state to 11, state officials said.

New Jersey Lieutenant Governor Sheila Oliver and New Jersey Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli held a coronavirus press briefing Monday afternoon at the New Jersey Regional Operations and Intelligence Center in Ewing to provide reporters with an update on how the coronavirus is impacting the state.

The new cases announced at the press conference:

1. An 18-year-old from Clifton in Passaic County. The person became sick on March 6. The person is not hospitalized and is self-quarantining. The person had contact with someone in New York who had tested positive. Contact tracing has just begun.

2. A 48-year-old Berkeley Heights, Union County resident became sick on March 1 and is at the Overlook Medical Center. The person was with symptomatic friends who traveled from Milan, Italy but tested negative for the coronavirus. The case is under investigation.

3. A 27-year old Little Silver, Monmouth County resident became sick on Feb. 29. The patient is not hospitalized and is self-quarantining. The exposure came from a Biogen conference the person attended in Boston between Feb. 24 and Feb. 28, with 170 attendees from that conference testing presumed positive, state officials said at the Monday press conference.

4. A Hazlet, Monmouth County resident who is hospitalized at the Bayshore Medical Center became sick on March 3. The exposure point is unknown. Outreach to potential New Jersey contacts is still pending.

5. A 30-year-old from Teaneck became sick on March 3 and is hospitalized at the Holy Name Medical Center.

The other seven cases, announced this weekend: A resident in Teaneck, Bergen County; a resident in West New York, Hudson County; a Fort Lee resident, Bergen County, two Englewood residents, Bergen County, and a resident in Cherry Hill, Camden County.

State officials said the CDC has not confirmed any of the cases officially yet. They are unclear why there are delays.

Twenty-four people are still under investigation and tests are pending from the state lab.

“Seeing these additional cases is concerning but not unexpected,” Persichilli said. “It is a trend we are seeing in the rest of the country and the world.”

Persichilli said the state will be strengthening its public health strategy. Airports have been screening people since early February, and people who have traveled to impacted countries or who have had contact with people whose cases have been confirmed are being monitored, Persichilli said. The state is working with local health officials. Local health department officials are the ones who interview people who test positive to determine who the sick person has had contact with, what public places the person may have visited, and who might be at risk, Persichilli said.

The state’s coronavirus task force will meet Tuesday and discuss what next steps the state needs to take in terms of mitigation efforts, Persichilli said, noting that several of the cases are related to the Westchester, New York case or other out-of-state events and cases.

“We do expect more cases. I don’t want to sugarcoat that at all,” Persichilli said, adding that people need to wash their hands, follow good hygiene practices, and avoid contact with people who are sick.

For more information from the state, visit the Department of Health website.