LONG BEACH ISLAND – Teen nights in Beach Haven have led to at least 20 positive cases leading to an outbreak investigation, said the Long Beach Island Health Department.
Through interviewing the children, medical officials were able to learn that they all attended teen nights during the period of July 11 through July 27, although the investigation is ongoing. Ten new positive cases came in on August 4, upgrading it from a “community cluster” to an “outbreak.” The State Health Department has been notified.
“It will be challenging to identify the full scope of this outbreak likely due to under reporting, cases have been dispersed over the state and region during the height of the summer season. However, we are actively associating any reported cases throughout the state that share a sufficient epidemiologic link,” the LBI department said.
The first case was made known to LBI on July 19, and the patient had attended the teen night in Beach Haven on July 11.
The health department did not say where the teen night took place, but advised that if you attended teen nights in the last two weeks, you should get tested, even if you have no symptoms or if you’ve been vaccinated. Five days after exposure is the best time to get tested.
People 12 and older are able to get the vaccine, and the LBI health department recommended doing so. They are also cautioned that large gatherings like teen nights “pose significant risk of COVID-19 transmission.”
“Unlike more structured and regulated organizations that host youth, teen nights often do not require health screening, immunization status, social distancing, masking or negative COVID-19 tests. The latest immunization coverage updated by CDC on July 19 for those 12 to 15 years of age is 27 percent and for those 16 to 24 years of age is 41 percent. Immunizations are widely available for 12 and older and we strongly encourage receiving the vaccine,” the LBIHD said in a statement.
They also noted that the Delta variant has become the more dominant strain, and it is more contagious than even the previous one.
For more information, call the LBI department at 609-492-1212 or your local health department.
