Coronavirus

Five more people were confirmed infected with teh novel coronavirus, bringing teh total number of Franklin patients to 30, health officials said on March 25. Mayor Phil Kramer said in a post on his Facebook page that tow of teh newly confirmed are 45 years old, and the rest are 81, 48 and 29. To date, there has been one …

In the biggest one-day jump since the first Franklin-connected coronavirus patient, nine more township residents were confirmed to have the disease on March 24. The count now brings the township’s total number of patients to 25, by far the most of any Somerset County town. The township now has nearly one-quarter of all the 106 confirmed Somerset County cases, according …

Multi-day breakfast and lunch “Go Packs” will be distributed to township students at 30 bus stops on five days in March and April, beginning March 26. The bus deliveries are in addition to the two-day-a-week “Go Pack” distribution now ongoing from 9:30-11:30 a.m. at four township schools: Franklin Middle School – Sampson G. Smith campus, Hillcrest, Elizabeth Avenue and Pine …

The school district will reduce the number of days it is handing out “Go Packs” of food. (File photo). The school district has cut the number of days it is distributing food as a result of Gov. Phil Murphy’s latest Executive Order regarding the coronavirus. Schools Superintendent John Ravally said that the district made the change because it is “trying …

A 73-year-old township man is Franklin’s first fatality attributed to the coronavirus, and a 9-year-old child is among four new cases, authorities said March 22. The man who died was the township’s first recorded positive coronavirus case, according to a person with knowledge of the circumstances. He also had underlying medical issues, the person said. As of March 22, a …

“Nonessential” businesses are asked to donate their personal protection equipment for the benefit of RWJ University Hospital – Somerset and local first responders. The effort, scheduled to run from March 23-28, is being coordinated by the Somerset County Office of Emergency Management, and was started as a means to respond to low supplies of the equipment. According to a press …

There are now six confirmed cases of the coronavirus disease in Franklin, as of March 20. Of the three newest, one person is in their 30s and two are in their 20s. They join three men in their 70s who have already been diagnosed, at least one of whom is in a hospital.

A group of township residents have banded together to offer their help to Franklinites who might need it while the coronavirus emergency exists. Referring to themselves as “Neighbors Helping Neighbors,” the group sees its mission as being “a truly grassroots campaign to mobilize volunteers to help those in need,” according to its web site. Initially, the group will offer non-contact …

Update: Somerset County officials are working with Hunterdon County officials to create a testing site. They are waiting on acquiring test kits, according to Mayor Phil Kramer. Original Story: County officials are “exploring all options” in bringing a coronavirus testing site to Somerset County. That includes securing the necessary testing kits and personal protection equipment for staff, according to a …

A 72-year-old township resident is Franklin’s third confirmed case of coronavirus, authorities said March 19. The Somerset County Health Department is looking into how the resident may have contracted the disease, according to a press release from the Franklin Township Police Department. All three township residents who have tested positive for the disease are in their 70s. As always, the …