There has been a decided decrease during the past week in the number of new COVID-19 cases recorded locally, districtwide and statewide.

After several weeks of more than 100 new cases a week, Gloucester County recorded just 96 new cases between last Wednesday and this Wednesday, for a total of 1,781 cases since the pandemic began. In Mathews, only 17 new cases were added during the past week, for a total of 504.

There were seven new hospitalizations in Gloucester over the week, for a total of 50, while the number of hospitalizations in Mathews remained the same, at 17. There were no new deaths in either county, with Gloucester having lost 29 residents to COVID, and Mathews seven.

Middlesex County saw 31 new cases, for a total of 473, with hospitalizations and deaths remaining at 18 and 16, respectively.

The number of new cases was down across the Three Rivers Health District, as well. After several weeks of new case counts above 400, just 335 cases were added during the we...