Two Long Beach Island women have died after attending a birthday party earlier this month in Barnegat Light where one of the organizers was exposed to COVID-19 while working on assignment in Westchester County, N.Y., prior to coming home for the celebration.

One of the women was a 96-year-old Loveladies resident and the other was a 76-year-old resident of Ship Bottom. Both were congregants at Zion Lutheran Church in Barnegat Light, where the March 8 birthday party took place.