4 New Coronavirus Cases; Camden County Closes Public Places

CAMDEN COUNTY, NJ — Camden County officials expanded the county’s State of Emergency declaration after four new cases of new coronavirus were reported in the county on Wednesday.

County officials provided the following information on the new cases Wednesday afternoon:

• A Cherry Hill man in his 40s is in self-isolation at home with only exposure to his family. He has had no community contact and no history of travel.
• A Cherry Hill man in his 50s is in self-isolation at home with only exposure to his family. He has had no community contact and no history of travel.
• A Cherry Hill man in his 40s is in self-isolation at home with only exposure to his family. He has had no community contact.
• A Pine Hill woman in her 60s is being treated at the hospital. An investigation into her possible exposures is just beginning.

The Camden County Health Department is currently working with the NJDOH to trace close contacts of these newest cases. The investigations are still ongoing, and we will update the public with new developments as the information is gathered by our investigators.

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As of Wednesday, all playgrounds, public bathrooms, and water fountain locations within the Camden County Parks System were closed until further notice as the county amended and reissued its State of Emergency declaration. Parks locations will remain open as outdoor-only facilities during regular operating hours.

Additionally, all convenience and grocery stores were told to discontinue self-serve beverage and food offerings, including coffee and cappuccino bars, fountain drinks and soda, roller grills, bakery cases, soup and salad bars, nacho/chili cheese machines, and condiment bars. Retailers may continue to sell food and beverage items, but an employee must dispense the beverage or food along with any necessary condiments directly to the customer.

"As this situation continues to evolve, we will continue to update our proactive mitigation measures as necessary to protect the public and stop the spread of this deadly virus," Camden County Freeholder Louis Cappelli, Jr. said. "In the past week, we have not seen people taking this threat seriously enough. Crowded playgrounds and shoulder-to-shoulder lines pouring coffee at Wawa and 7/11 are not acceptable if we are going to get through this. We want to remind everyone that they should be staying home as much as they can and avoiding contact with others when possible."

On Monday, Camden County and its agencies activated emergency measures to reduce governmental operations to only essential functions. All essential employees, such as law enforcement, corrections, public safety, and others as dictated continue to report to work as usual.

Non-essential employees are no longer reporting to work but will remain on call to work remotely as needed.

The new cases were reported one day after county officials revealed that the Cherry Hill man who first tested positive for coronavirus has made a full recovery. Read more here: Cherry Hill Man Tested Positive For Coronavirus Has Recovered

A Cherry Hill woman in her 60s was the second positive case. She continues her self-isolation at home under the supervision of medical professionals, officials said.

In both cases, county officials tracked everyone they were exposed to, and none have shown any symptoms since being told to self-quarantine. Read more here: 4 Cooper Staff Quarantined After Possible Exposure To Coronavirus

A Haddon Township woman in her 50s also tested positive for coronavirus. A total of seven people, including the man who recovered, tested positive in Camden County as of Wednesday. Read more here: County Freeholder Director Blasts Lack Of Coronavirus Test Kits

"As testing volume increases, we are going to see the number of cases in our community continue to increase," Cappelli said. "It is critical at this moment that everyone takes this threat extremely seriously. Social distancing, staying home as much as possible and avoiding contact with others, is the only way we will be able to slow the spread of this disease and reduce the toll this pandemic has on our community. As we have with our first three cases, we are continuing to work with the New Jersey Department of Health to identify individuals who may have been in contact with anyone confirmed of having contracted the illness."

"We are urging residents with any questions about coronavirus, what symptoms look like, and how they can best protect themselves and their family to call 2-1-1 or text NJCOVID to 898-211 to receive text information. You can also receive live text assistance by texting your zip code to 898-211," Camden County Freeholder Carmen Rodriguez, liaison to the Department of Health and Human Services, said. "The New Jersey Department of Health has a coronavirus website with resources and updates, and we are constantly updating www.camdencounty.com with new information. It is extremely important to stay informed by the latest updates, as the situation presented by coronavirus is evolving rapidly."

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