New Jersey’s 2nd coronavirus death ID’ed as religious education teacher
Updated Mar 16, 2020; Posted Mar 15, 2020
By Katie Kausch | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
A religious education teacher from Freehold has been identified as New Jersey’s second coronavirus death.
Rita Fusco-Jackson, who was in her 50s and lived in Freehold, died on Thursday, officials said this weekend. The Co-Catherdral of St. Robert Bellarmine, based in Freehold, confirmed her name Sunday afternoon.
Her death is connected to the death of John Brennan, a horse trainer who lived in Little Ferry. Brennan was the first New Jersey resident to die from COVID-19. Nationally, the coronavirus has killed 62 people.
State Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli said one of Fusco-Jackson’s siblings is friends with Brennan, and the virus likely spread through a family gathering. Several other people at that gathering also tested positive for the virus, officials said.
Fusco-Jackson’s family was also involved in harness horse racing, and she was one of 11 children, an obituary for her father says. She was both a parishioner and a teacher in the church’s confirmation program, the church said.
“I ask that every member of the parish please remember the Fusco-Jackson family in their prayers as they deal with the loss of Rita and for all who have been impacted by COVID-19 here in the parish and throughout the nation,” the church said in a Facebook post.
Another family member of Fusco-Jackson’s is a fifth grade religious education teacher at the church during the Tuesday evening service, and two younger family members are students, the church said. All three are self-quarantined and were not in class this week, the church said.
As of Sunday afternoon, at least 98 cases of coronavirus have been reported in New Jersey. The rising number of COVID-19 positive tests in the state has forced the closure of the most public schools, the suspension of all new jury trials, and put curfews into place.
