Families return from holiday at the shore as New Jersey COVID-19 transmission rate rises
HAMMONTON, New Jersey (WPVI) -- For some, Farley Plaza is the last stop on the way back home along the Atlantic City expressway.
That's where we caught up with people who took to the Jersey Shore this Independence Day weekend.
"A lot of folks weren't wearing their masks. That's what I noticed the most," said Warren Roy of South Philadelphia.
"There wasn't a lot of people without masks on. Our hotel room was very well cleaned and we enjoyed it," Susan Zeroual of Pottsville. Her family stayed in Wildwood for the weekend.
A trip down the shore is a family tradition for many, especially in celebration of the 4th of July.
The decision to vacation during a pandemic made with a lot of consideration.
"You have to weigh things out because it's very scary. You're safe and you're away from people and then within 30 seconds it changes. That's the scary part," said Rick Meckes.
But with coronavirus concerns, and national infection numbers seeing a rise, the thought of COVID-19 exposure is never far away.
"It's always in your mind when people start to get close," said Rick Meckes of Walnutport, PA. Meckes and his wife visited both Ocean City and Atlantic City during their stay.
On Monday afternoon, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy announced a decline in hospitalizations, ICU patients and ventilator needs. But there was an increase in rate of transmission, which now stands statewide at 1.03.
"For every new case of COVID we see that case leads to another case at least," said Governor Murphy.
In Philadelphia, positive COVID-19 case numbers have dropped slightly.
"Over all they've gone down a little but since late last week and they were going up, so that's a good sign," said a Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley.
