The following is the 6th update from the Borough of Red Bank concerning the COVID-19 outbreak.
Update #1: https://www.redbanknj.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=209
Update #2: https://www.redbanknj.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=210
Update #3: https://www.redbanknj.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=211
Update #4: https://www.redbanknj.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=212
Update #5: https://www.redbanknj.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=213
The Borough of Red Bank would like to remind our community members that as of March 20, 2020, the Borough of Red Bank is not aware of any official positive cases of the COVID-19 virus among Red Bank residents. This information is based on official reporting by the New Jersey Department of Health and the Monmouth County Regional Health Commission. For more information, visit the New Jersey COVID-19 Dashboard at https://www.state.nj.us/health/cd/topics/covid2019_dashboard.shtml
This morning, we received a report from a Borough of Red Bank municipal employee who has tested positive for COVID-19. At the present time, it is unclear how the staff member contracted the virus but we do know the staff member began feeling symptoms on March 14. We can confirm that the staff member did not come into the building since the municipal building closed on Friday evening, March 13th.
The Monmouth County Regional Health Commission has been informed and the employee has provided a thorough accounting of places visited and people who may have had close contact (within 6 feet for a prolonged period - 10 minutes or more) in the days prior to March 16th. If you are experiencing any flu-like symptoms (i.e. runny nose, sore throat, cough, and fever), please contact your primary care doctor or health care provider. Note that not everyone in close contact will need to be tested. Should you receive a call from MCRHC, please heed their advice.
The municipal building has been closed to the public as of March 16th and was cleaned with disinfectant prior to opening for operations. Disinfectant cleaning operations had been stepped up the week of March 9th to include multiple daily cleanings. The municipal building will be closed completely on March 20, 2020 for another thorough cleaning over the weekend. This news will understandably raise additional concerns but it’s important not to let fear get the better of us.
As the State & Monmouth County positive count increases daily, it is a likely scenario that one of us will know someone firsthand who has been infected with the COVID-19 virus. There is no reason to panic but there is reason to be prepared and follow the steps to prepare and protect yourself and your family. For more information, visit the CDC website at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html or call 1-800-222-1222.
The Borough of Red Bank Mayor & Council, Administration, Office of Emergency Management, Police Department and Fire Department continue to monitor the developing situation involving positive cases of COVID-19 in Monmouth County. As part of the state’s coordinated response to address the novel coronavirus outbreak, Governor Phil Murphy declared a State of Emergency and a Public Health Emergency, effective March 9, 2020 to ramp up New Jersey’s efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19. Several Executive Orders have been published providing for direction and aggressive measures to mitigate further spread of COVID-19 in New Jersey.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the respiratory illness caused by a new virus that first emerged in December 2019. The NJ Department of Health (NJDOH) is leading the state’s response to COVID-19 and is working closely with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For up-to-date information and recommendations, please visit the NJDOH coronavirus webpage (https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/ncov.shtml) and the CDC coronavirus webpage (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/index.html).