Outdoor commencement ceremonies, like this Red Bank Charter School graduation in 2016, will be permitted, Murphy said. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

[See UPDATES below]

By JOHN T. WARD

Graduation ceremonies can resume starting July 6, Governor Phil Murphy announced in another easing of COVID-19 restrictions Tuesday.

The change follows a three-day weekend in which key measures of the pandemic showed continued improvement over the Memorial Day weekend.

Resuming his daily briefings following a break for the holiday, Murphy said school commencements, which were prohibited under a ban on large gatherings, may be held starting July 6, provided they are held outdoors.

Social distancing and other measures “necessary for health and safety” must be observed, he said, adding that additional guidance will be released Wednesday.

Red Bank Regional High Superintendent Lou Moore and Red Bank Borough Schools Superintendent Jared Rumage told redbankgreen they were awaiting further information before announcing a ceremony for the class of 2020.

• An updated report by the New Jersey Health Department on longterm care facilities showed the Atrium at Navesink Harbor in Red Bank has reported its first death in the pandemic. (As reported by redbankgreen, four deaths previously attributed to the Atrium’s longterm care operation were later reclassified as having occurred in the facility’s independent living units.)

The same report indicated that the 180-bed Hackensack Meridian Health facility in Red Bank had 80 residents and 11 staff members test positive for COVID-19, a decrease of three residents and an increase of 4 staffers from Friday. Thirteen deaths, all of patients, have been reported at the Chapin Avenue facility, the report said.

Local health officials have said longterm care facilities account for the “majority” of pandemic-related deaths in Red Bank. The borough’s death tally stood at 16 on May 15 and has not been updated by the the Monmouth County Regional Health Commission, which serves as the borough’s health office.

• Here is state data on cases and deaths of residents and staff members at 51 Monmouth County longterm care facilities:

1,556 resident cases, up 16 from Friday

692 staff cases, up 82

412 resident deaths, up 15

5 staff deaths, up 1

• The state reported that 559 Monmouth County residents have now died in the pandemic, an increase of 16 from Friday’s report.

• [UPDATE] The Monmouth County government reported 7,931 confirmed COVID-19 cases as of Tuesday, an increase of 47 from Monday, and up 207 from Friday. Here’s the breakdown by municipality:

• Aberdeen: 232
• Allenhurst: 5
• Allentown: 7
• Asbury Park: 210
• Atlantic Highlands: 30
• Avon-by-the-Sea: 12
• Belmar: 32
• Bradley Beach: 44
• Brielle: 29
• Colts Neck: 76
• Deal: 25
• Eatontown: 266
• Englishtown: 43
• Fair Haven: 25, unchanged from Friday
• Farmingdale: 12
• Freehold Borough: 383
• Freehold Township: 645
• Hazlet: 283
• Highlands: 31
• Holmdel: 255
• Howell: 607
• Interlaken: 4
• Keansburg: 176
• Keyport: 95
• Lake Como: 16
• Little Silver: 36, up 2
• Loch Arbour: 1
• Long Branch: 503
• Manalapan: 448
• Manasquan: 30
• Marlboro: 436
• Matawan: 185
• Middletown: 673
• Millstone Township: 81
• Monmouth Beach: 21
• Neptune City: 59
• Neptune Township: 509
• Ocean: 303
• Oceanport: 58
• Red Bank: 205, up 10
• Roosevelt: 6
• Rumson: 34
• Sea Bright: 9
• Sea Girt: 14
• Shrewsbury Borough: 50
• Shrewsbury Township: 9
• Spring Lake: 15
• Spring Lake Heights: 21
• Tinton Falls: 191
• Union Beach: 42
• Upper Freehold: 53
• Wall: 332
• West Long Branch: 61
• Unknown: 3

• On its COVID-19 dashboard, the state reported 206 more lab-confirmed deaths statewide since Friday, for a total 11,191. Murphy noted that the figure may be an undercount because of lags in reporting by facilities over the holiday.

Here are the latest figures:

Deaths since March 10: 11,191, up 206 from Friday’s report

Positive tests: 155,764, up 703

Patients in hospitals: 2,723, down 326

Patients in intensive/critical care: 786, down 60

Patients on ventilators: 578, down 96

Patients discharged in preceding 24 hours: 131, down 128