UPDATED Millburn Mayor Reports First Coronavirus Case

MILLBURN, NJ — Millburn Mayor Jackie Lieberberg sent residents of the community a letter on Friday letting them know that a resident has tested positive for coronavirus.

[UPDATE: The Essex County executive shared word of a second case on Sunday; see this story.]

The message came a day after the town announced that schools would close through March 27, and the same day as the mayor posted a letter updating residents on steps the town will take to slow the spread of the virus. Steps include halting many community and senior events through April 13.

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The mayor's message was:

<blockquote>

Hello all residents, this is another important message from your Mayor Jackie Benjamin Lieberberg. As a municipality we want to keep everyone as informed as possible throughout this difficult situation. However, we also cannot emphasize enough the need to support one another, come together in the spirit of community and remain calm and measured as we all do our part to combat and slow the onset of COVID-19.

Today I have recently learned that the Township of Millburn has had its first resident test positive for the coronavirus. There is no other additional information at this time about how this person contracted the disease. The health department is following the New Jersey Department of Health protocols and guidelines and is in the process of working on contact tracing of this individual.

We knew that Milburn Township would not be immune to the emergence of COVID-19, however, our perseverance and proactive initiatives will bond our community and show our resolve. We have already taken prudent and necessary steps to positively impact the health and safety of our residents with numerous public and private activities being canceled or postponed. We ask that everyone continue to remain steadfast.

We ask that all residents take the guidance of health officials and the CDC seriously and adhere to social distancing practices. Most importantly, if you are sick stay home and contact your health care provider or call 911 and follow their instructions. Additional guidance and information is consistently being added to the township’s webpage and should serve as a reference point for our residents.

This is uncharted territory for many of us, however we have been through trying times before as a community. Continue to look out for each other, take the necessary precautions and limit your interactions in public spaces or large groups. We will come out stronger in the end. We are Millburn- Short Hills. We always do. Thank you and be safe.</blockquote>

The mayor then gave a few additional details in a story in TAPinto, saying the person was being treated.

Gov. Phil Murphy announced Friday that the state had confirmed 50 cases.

Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that include the common cold as well as much more serious diseases. The strain that emerged in China in late 2019, now called COVID-19, is related to others that have caused serious outbreaks in recent years, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the U.S. was on Jan. 21.

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