New COVID-19 case numbers are low in West Milford, but Omicron BA.2 poses a new threat

Although there were just five new cases of COVID-19 recorded throughout the Township of West Milford between March 21 and March 28, the threat of the more contagious Omicron BA.2 subvariant is being monitored in the state and across the nation.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday and his office announced he would isolate for the next five days. All his scheduled events for the next five days have been cancelled in line with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. The contact process began with notification of anyone who may have come into contact with the governor during the potential infection window.

The five people with new cases of Covid-19 in West Milford announced for the week ending March 28 were all females. The youngest victim was five years old and the oldest was 64. Two were 24 and one was 19. No new cases at Milford Manor Nursing Home or Chelsea at Bald Eagle were reported.

Since the virus hit the municipality two years ago, 4,319 residents were stricken. There has been a total of 67 total resident deaths from the disease.

BA.2, now the dominant version of COVID-19 in the United States, accounts for nearly 55 percent of COVID cases that have undergone genetic sequencing, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The report said BA.2 is more transmissible and has caused new outbreaks in Europe and China. White House Chief Medical Advisor Dr. Anthony Faucci said he does not expect a surge, although cases could rise in coming weeks.The report said the BA.2 subvariant spreads about 75 percent faster than the earlier version, BA.1. According to the latest update from the United Kingdom Health Security Agency. BA.2 caused a spike there and in Germany in recent weeks. Also driven by BA.2, China has been battling its worst outbreak since 2020.