LAKEWOOD - Government officials and community leaders are bracing for a surge in COVID-19 cases after the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Ocean County more than tripled overnight.

State Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli said Thursday that there were a total of 33 positive coronavirus cases in Ocean County, with 25 new cases being reported overnight.

Hours later, county health officials reported a total of 48 coronaviruses, including 26 in Lakewood alone.

Lakewood Mayor Ray Coles and Rabbi Moshe Weisberg, a spokesman for the Lakewood Vaad, have said there could be as many as 40 coronavirus cases in Lakewood alone.

"That's the number, but it might grow," said Coles, who said he discussed the township's new cases in a meeting with township officials Thursday morning.

As more test results come back positive, there is often a discrepancy in the number of coronavirus cases reported by county and state officials.

As more tests are conducted throughout the state, officials only expect the number of cases to rise. Just the day before — on Wednesday — the state reported eight cases for Ocean County; the county early Thursday had the number at 16.

The state health department confirmed 742 positive coronavirus cases statewide Thursday, up from 427 on Wednesday.

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Persichilli told reporters in an afternoon briefing the department "had a conference call with the Lakewood community generally." She said she could not confirm reports of a spike in cases in Lakewood.

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Lakewood's main hospital is Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus, formerly known as Kimball Medical Center. It is owned by RWJBarnabas Health and has 161 beds and 20 critical care beds, according to data from the New Jersey Health Department.

In an email, RWJBarnabas Health spokeswoman Carrie Cristello said the hospital "has treated several patients for COVID-19."

While Coles and Weisberg both reported 40 positive coronavirus cases in the town, they differed on where those cases originated.

Coles said the majority of new cases were rooted in the township's Latinx community, which makes up more than 14% of the population, according to Census data.

“When they started testing, many more Latino residents fit the (CDC) criteria to get tested,” he said. “I think that as time passes we’re going to see more cases all over the place.”

Weisberg, however, said that as many as 75% of the coronavirus cases could come from the Orthodox Jewish community, after speaking to township officials and emergency services organization Hatzolah.

"We were bracing for it. We were praying that somehow we'd be spared, but it looks like we're following the pattern in other communities," Weisberg said. "Our biggest fear was, because of the concentration of our community, a lot of community spread.

"We're hopeful that the community will follow the advice of the authority and the leadership of the community, as well as maintaining their social distancing and grouping."

Community leaders, such as the Vaad — a group of rabbis and business leaders who advocate for the Orthodox community and give guidance and advice on community issues — have been trying to reinforce state and federal guidelines in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus, including the importance of social distancing.

Weisberg said "there is a lag" in the amount of time it has taken some Orthodox Jews to accept and make the necessary lifestyle changes that come with social distancing.

"It's a hard concept to get your arms around," he said.

Orthodox Jewish private schools and Beth Medrash Govoha, the largest yeshiva in the world outside of Israel, closed as of Wednesday, per an order from Gov. Phil Murphy.

Nearly all of the township's religious centers and synagogues have closed or changed prayer schedules to prevent large groups from entering the premises, according to numerous flyers, letters and statements passed around social media in the last 24 hours.

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On Tuesday, Lakewood police broke up two different wedding celebrations of more than 50 people each. The governor has banned gatherings of more than 50 people.

"It is time to cut the crap," Murphy said at a press briefing Thursday, when asked about people not taking social distancing seriously. "We simply cannot have this. ... We have to ensure compliance, no matter what it is — weddings, funerals, baptisms, you name it. We're going to get particularly ornery about this. We mean business."

In Westchester County, New York, dozens of coronavirus cases were linked to an event at a synagogue. It led to the state creating a 1-mile containment area, centered around a synagogue in New Rochelle, and enforced by the National Guard.

"We've never gone through something like this. Young people especially feel powered and healthy, and it takes a while for it to sink in," Weisberg said.

"The responsible leadership — the medical professionals, the religious leaders, the community leaders — are all together trying to get the message out. But the reality is that it's hard to grasp," he said.

This is a developing news story. Check back through the day for the latest updates.

Mike Davis has spent the last decade covering New Jersey local news, marijuana legalization, transportation and basically whatever else is happening. Contact him at mdavis@gannettnj.com or @byMikeDavis on Twitter.