Man In Burlington County Coronavirus Case Works At Medical Center

ROBBINSVILLE, NJ — One of two Burlington County residents who tested presumptive positive for new coronavirus works at Mercer-Bucks Cardiology in Robbinsville, township officials announced. The office is currently closed.

It is the first case of coronavirus impacting residents of Mercer County. The West Windsor Health Department, which serves Robbinsville, is working with other health agencies in investigating a clearly defined group of people who came in contact with the 62-year-old man, who recently traveled to Italy with his 60-year-old wife. The couple is from Riverton, state officials said previously.

The presumptive positive tests were reported on Tuesday, and the couple is being quarantined at home. They are being checked twice daily by the Burlington County Health Department. Read more here: Burlington County Couple Presumptive Positive For Coronavirus

Upon his return from Italy, the man worked in the office for one day on March 3, officials said. He began showing mild symptoms on March 4, and didn’t return to work. The practice closed the office immediately, advised staff to self-quarantine at home and implemented an enhanced cleaning process, officials said.

The West Windsor Health Department was notified of the presumptive positive test result on Tuesday, March 10 and immediately took appropriate protective measures to prevent the spread of the virus. As an added precaution, building management is currently performing enhanced cleaning of the building’s common areas. Officials didn't say what his position was in the center.

“The Robbinsville OEM, Robbinsville Township Mayor Dave Fried and the West Windsor Township Health Department are dedicated to stopping the spread of COVID-19 and are working with dedicated teams of local, state and federal officials to ensure a safe community,” officials said in a statement.

On Wednesday, Rep. Andy Kim (D-3) held a conference call with senior leaders in Burlington and Ocean counties. One senior leader said there was an 8-12 week back order for gloves and masks, Kim said in a statement following the call. Other concerns shared on the call were:

• The need for more testing capacity and faster test results.
• Potential disruption of programs that directly help food insecure seniors, such as Meals on Wheels.
• Home health care patients who are hesitant to receive care.
• Being sensitive to visitor needs, while also protecting the health and safety of patients and healthcare staff.

"I want to thank our frontline health care and senior leaders for taking time to provide an update on their efforts in New Jersey, and their thoughts on how we can best work together to keep people safe and save lives," said Kim, who represents Burlington and Ocean counties. "The concerns I heard from our local leaders need to be addressed, and they deserve solutions now. I'll be working with my colleagues in the House and with state and local officials to ensure our health care and senior care professionals have the resources and guidance they need to contain and end this crisis."

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As of Wednesday, Virtua Health Systems were restricted visitors who have traveled outside the United States in the last 14 days or have a fever or illness. A spokeswoman said the policies may be updated on Thursday.

Virtua, Cooper and Jefferson health systems are all asking patients who believe they may have coronavirus to call before coming in so health providers are prepared.

The New Jersey Department of Health has partnered with the New Jersey Poison Information and Education System to open and operate a call center (1-800-222-1222) for public use regarding questions, concerns, and other information related to coronavirus spread in New Jersey. More information is also available on the state's coronavirus webpage.

See related: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know