Mayor Chris Vergano announced that, as of April 13th, there are 554 positive cases of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Wayne, New Jersey.

This is a 47 case increase from April 11th and a 195 case increase from just over a week prior on April 5th.

An additional six deaths were reported today by the New Jersey Department of Health, bringing the total number of deaths in Wayne up to 21.

“There is a delay at times of when we receive the actual reports,” Vergano added, “Our thoughts and prayers also go out to their families.”

In a statement, Vergano also reported that “of the 554 [residents battling COVID-19], most are being treated at home, some have fully recovered and are back in the workforce and some are still in the hospital.”

While the increase in new cases is considerably smaller than that of the previous week, Vergano warns, “Although our new cases continue to be a steady number, I just don’t want you to be fooled to think that this pandemic is over.”

He stressed the importance of continuing to practice social distancing despite the recent decline in new cases.

In New Jersey, there are currently 64,584 confirmed cases of the virus and 2,443 deaths, a significant increase from a week ago, where the number of confirmed cases was 37,505 and the death toll 917.

The state still remains second among those reporting the most cases, following distantly behind New York, which has reported 195,031 total cases and 10,056 total deaths.

The Passaic County drive-through COVID-19 screening is continuing this week on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm at William Paterson University. Those participating must have a doctors’ prescription and be a Passaic County resident.

The William Paterson screening center is also in need of volenteers. Those with a medical background who are willing to help can email the organization at [email protected].

Mayor Vergano also announced that the CDC now requires masks or cloth face-covering in public settings, including supermarkets and all retail stores. This implementation is to be followed by both customers and staff and is geared towards slowing down the speed of the virus.

Vergano emphasized, “Cloth face-coverings are recommended for the public, not N-95 or surgical masks. Those should be saved for medical personnel.”

This new requirement means that if you go out to such stores today or moving forwards, you must be wearing a face covering.

Vergano closed off his update by saying, “We’re not at the end of this yet. We need you to stay focused, stay home as much as possible, and stay six feet apart from each other.”

As always, you can view Mayor Vergano’s daily coronavirus updates on the township website, which posts new information regarding coronavirus on a daily basis.

Stay indoors, stay safe.