The Hackensack Meridian Health facility in Red Bank, seen here from Bank Street in 2019, has experienced 83 COVID-19 cases among residents and staff members, the state reported. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

COVID-19’s toll on one longterm care facility in Red Bank continued with 11 new infections reported Friday, bringing the total to 83 so far in the pandemic.

A report by the New Jersey Health Department indicated that the 180-bed Hackensack Meridian Health facility on Chapin Avenue now has had 76 residents and 7 staff members test positive for COVID-19, increases of 10 and 1, respectively.

Deaths associated with the facility stood at 13 Friday, unchanged.

A Hackensack Meridian spokesperson did not immediately reply to a redbankgreen request for comment Friday. This article will be updated if a response is received.

The Atrium at Navesink Harbor on Riverside Avenue, the borough’s only other facility offering longterm care, has had 3 residents and 6 staff members test positive, with no fatalities linked to care provision, according to the report. Both figures were unchanged.

(In the Atrium’s independent living area, four patients had died as of early Thursday morning, a total that has remained unchanged for several weeks, a spokeswoman for owner Springpoint Senior Living told redbankgreen.)

According to borough health officer Dave Henry, of the Monmouth County Regional Health Commission, the “majority” of pandemic-related deaths in Red Bank have been associated with longterm care. The total stood at 16 on Friday, May 15; Henry did not immediately respond to a redbankgreen request for an update Friday morning.

• The state reported that 543 Monmouth County residents have now died in the pandemic, an increase of 6 from Thursday’s report.

Here is state data on cases and deaths of residents and staff members at 51 Monmouth County longterm care facilities:

1,483 resident cases, up 13 from Thursday

610 staff cases, up 11

397 resident deaths, up 5

4 staff deaths, unchanged

• In its own daily update Friday, Monmouth County government reported 65 cases, for a total of 7,724. Here’s the breakdown by town:

Aberdeen: 230
Allenhurst: 5
Allentown: 7
Asbury Park: 207
Atlantic Highlands: 30
Avon-by-the-Sea: 12
Belmar: 31
Bradley Beach: 44
Brielle: 29
Colts Neck: 74
Deal: 25
Eatontown: 264
Englishtown: 40
Fair Haven: 25, unchanged from Thursday
Farmingdale: 11
Freehold Borough: 376
Freehold Township: 617
Hazlet: 283
Highlands: 31
Holmdel: 244
Howell: 596
Interlaken: 4
Keansburg: 169
Keyport: 92
Lake Como: 16
Little Silver: 34, unchanged
Loch Arbour: 1
Long Branch: 490
Manalapan: 445
Manasquan: 30
Marlboro: 433
Matawan: 174
Middletown: 646
Millstone Township: 79
Monmouth Beach: 19
Neptune City: 53
Neptune Township: 484
Ocean: 292
Oceanport: 59
Red Bank: 195, up 1
Roosevelt: 6
Rumson: 34
Sea Bright: 9
Sea Girt: 14
Shrewsbury Borough: 50
Shrewsbury Township: 9
Spring Lake: 14
Spring Lake Heights: 20
Tinton Falls: 197
Union Beach: 42
Upper Freehold: 51
Wall: 318
West Long Branch: 60
Unknown: 4

• Also on its COVID-19 dashboard, the state reported 142 more lab-confirmed deaths statewide in the pandemic, for a total 10,985.

Here are the latest figures:

Deaths since March 10: 10,985, up 142 from Thursday’s report

Positive tests: 152,719, up 1,395

Patients in hospitals: 3,049, down 159

Patients in intensive/critical care: 846, down 50

Patients on ventilators: 674, down 26

Patients discharged in preceding 24 hours: 259, down 27

• In time for the Memorial Day weekend, New Jerseyans may now gather outdoors in groups of up to 25, under a loosening of COVID-19 restrictions announced by Governor Phil Murphy Friday.

At his daily briefing on the crisis, Murphy announced he had signed a new executive order increasing the number of people who can “gather” to 25, from 10 under a prior order.

The order applies only to outdoor activities, such as backyard barbecues, camping and charter fishing. But it excludes outdoor dining and graduations, Murphy said, adding that he would have more to say about graduations next week.

“We want to get this right, obviously, because this would be a big gathering,” he said.

Moreover, the order continues to call for social distancing measures and facial coverings, which Murphy said should be kept in mind as the state enters the holiday weekend.

“Yes, please enjoy it, but don’t get complacent,” he implored the public.