Update from the Bernards Township Health Department: 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-2019) Weekly Update #43 - September 22, 2020

Dear Residents,

As we enter our third week of school many of you may still be working from home or even have your school or
college age children home with you. Our lives have changed in ways we could never have imagined or
experienced because of COVID-19. While so many restrictions have been lifted, I want to remind everyone that
it’s not over till it’s over! Recently we have had large clusters of COVID-19 outbreaks amongst our teen/young
adult population who then infect many around them. This can include their parents, younger siblings and
grandparents. Not to mention the doctor they see, the gym they frequent, their workplace and more.
As your Health Officer I am writing to ask for your support. Our office has been inundated with calls, emails,
and complaints from worried parents and community members. From violations of social distancing to suspected
cases of individuals not quarantining. The way we conduct ourselves in this world directly impacts others. I
implore you to keep in mind that as more schools attempt to open in the coming weeks, whether we stay open or
closed will be determined by our behavior moving forward. I am a parent of two boys, and I understand how
difficult it is to manage our very social children. We often hear “kids will be kids” but that’s not acceptable
during this time. We have the responsibility to keep our teachers, business owners and neighbors safe.
Please talk to your children. See that they pay attention to what they are doing and where they are going. Lead by
example and urge them to only do the essentials, wear a mask and social distance as much as possible.
Partying students’ failure to take precautions against the spread of the coronavirus put at risk not only our
schools, but our entire community. Further violations of social distancing precautions will make it impossible for
schools to continue in-house teaching and will lead to the cancellation of student events. Parents, keep your
children out of class if they attended a large gathering on the weekend. Social media images clearly indicate
that these gatherings are occurring with no COVID-19 precautions in place. The thoughtless behavior our office
experienced this past week resulted in 26 positive cases which stemmed from students attending parties,
partaking in sports events and visiting colleges. A total of 19 young people and 7 adults were infected within our
jurisdiction alone with more cases crossing into 4 other counties.

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