Police said they broke up another wedding Thursday in Lakewood, at least the third time township officers had to disperse a group violating the state’s ban on gatherings amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Patrol officers at the scene of a car accident discovered the celebration taking place on Wayne Street, according to Capt. Gregory Staffordsmith.

“While tending to the scene two vans pulled up with would be wedding guests. The officers then noticed that a nearby backyard had a party tent set up,” the captain said in an email.

It was not immediately clear how many people were at the wedding, Staffordsmith said. Officers issued a criminal complaint for maintaining a nuisance to 39-year-old William Katzenstein.

Gov. Phil Murphy banned gatherings - including weddings - in an effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus, which has infected at least 6,876 people in New Jersey.

“Our social distancing directives are not polite suggestions. We will enforce these,” Murphy said Wednesday at his daily briefing on the virus.

Last week, Lakewood police also broke up two weddings in the densely populated township.

Health officials reported 468 positive cases of the respiratory virus in Ocean County, with 198 in Lakewood as of Thursday.

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Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook.