MONROE – Monroe officials reported 16 new positive COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of cases to 501, according to the Monroe Township Office of Emergency Management on April 30.
The new cases include five residents in long-term care facilities, three in the New Jersey Training School for Boys and eight community wide. The age range of the cases are from one to 96.
The cases include nine males – a five year old, a 15 year old, an 18 year old, a 22 year old, 30 year old, a 41 year old, an 87 year old, an 89 year old, and a 96 year old, and seven females – a one year old, a 40 year old, a 57 year old, a 60 year old, a 72 year old, an 88 year old, and a 92 year old.
Monroe has lost 65 residents to COVID-19, 49 in long-term care facilities and 16 community-wide.
“I am sad to report today that we have been officially notified by the Middlesex County Department of Health of 15 additional COVID-19 deaths in our community,” Mayor Gerald Tamburro said. “This news shakes us to the core. My deepest sympathy goes out to the families and friends of these residents who lost their fight to the virus. The threat of COVID-19 is real and it is magnified by the loss of life and grief that too many people are having to experience.”
Tamburro said the township’s mitigation measures to limit the spread of the virus is important.
“The tragedy suffered by these residents, our friends, neighbors, families, is what we hope to avoid by continuing our efforts to social distance,” he said. “As one community, we stand together, determined to do everything it takes to protect each other, protect the most vulnerable and limit further loss of life.”
Monroe Office of Emergency Management (OEM) has secured and delivered more than eight pallets of critical personal protection equipment (PPE), including gowns, masks, face shields, and cleaning projects to each of the private long-term care providers in the township.
The township, in its report, also recognized many organizations, businesses and people who have donated PPE as well as donations and funds to the township food pantry.
Antibody testing is now available along with COVID-19 testing at MyInstaDoc, 298 Applegarth Road. The urgent care has been offering COVID-19 PCR testing by nasal swab for over a month and has served more than 1,800 people.
Currently, the antibody testing is offered to health care workers, first responders and public servants who are symptom-free for a period of no less than 14 days. The service is also offered to symptom-free family members of those who were infected with COVID-19 and who have completed their period of quarantine. The test will assess them for subclinical infection in the past.
The COVID-19 drive-thru testing site serves pre-registered patients from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and drive-up patients from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Thursdays and Saturdays. Pre-register at www.myinstadocmonroe.com or call 609-207-3220 to speak with a medical professional.
For more information visit www.COVID19.nj.gov.
For Middlesex County information on COVID-19 information visit discovermiddlesex.com/covid19/ or www.middlsexcountynj.gov/covid19.