South Brunswick sees first drop off of EMS calls in weeks

SOUTH BRUNSWICK – South Brunswick Office of Emergency Management Director, Police Chief Raymond Hayducka, detailed new numbers on April 24 that show the impact COVID-19 is having on South Brunswick.

“We are trying to be as proactive as possible with the virus. The positive test results can take days to come back but the number of EMS calls can tell us what is happening now. We saw a consistent spike in calls and now we have our first drop off. It is the steps everyone is taking that is making a difference,” said Chief Hayducka.

South Brunswick Office of Emergency Management receives daily notifications from the Middlesex County Department of Health on residents who test positive. The data from the Middlesex County Health Department gives one perspective on how the virus is spreading. Another method is tracking requests for first aid in the township. The first aid or EMS call volume appears consistent with when experts indicated the town would experience the highest impact from the virus. After three weeks of nearly 100 calls, last week was the first drop, according to information provided by the township. This can be seen as one of the results of the impact of social distancing and wearing face coverings.

The following chart was provided by South Brunswick OEM

WEEK                                                    TOTAL CALLS

March 1st to 8th                                      73

March 8th to 15th                                    85

March 15th to 22nd                                 67

March 22rd to 29th                                 100

March 29th to April 5th                           104

April 5th to April 12th                              106

April 12th to April 19th                            67