Camden County Coronavirus Cases Double Every 2 Weeks, Data Shows

CAMDEN COUNTY, NJ — A number of counties in New Jersey are showing signs that the outbreak of coronavirus is slowing down. A different story is being told in Camden County, though, where cases are doubling in about half the time — every two weeks — of some other areas in the state.

Coronavirus cases are doubling every 14.5 days, according to data cited by Gov. Phil Murphy during a news conference Thursday afternoon. The county ranked 19th out of the state’s 21 counties when it comes to slowing the spread of the virus.

On the upper end of the scale, it takes more than 30 days for cases to double in Hunterdon and Monmouth counties. So in the span it takes those counties to double cases, cases quadruple in Camden County. Read more here: Gov. Murphy: Here's Where Coronavirus Slowing Most, Least In NJ

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Over the last 14 days, the number of cases has more than doubled, according to numbers provided by county officials. As of Wednesday, Camden County had 2,312 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, with 96 fatalities. On April 8, the county had 876 cases, with 23 fatalities.

The most cases in the county is Camden, which checked in at 584 cases as of Wednesday, according to numbers posted on the county website.

The next highest number is in Cherry Hill, which had 351 as of Wednesday. Pennsauken has 233 cases, followed by Winslow with 169 and Voorhees with 165. No other municipalities in the county have more than 100 cases.

The data stands in contrast to the county's "A" grade in social distancing from Unacast. That report came days ahead of the first test site opening in the county, though. Officials have said the number of cases would increase as testing became more prevalent.

The biggest increase in reported cases came shortly after the county opened its first testing site at the Cooper’s Poynt Waterfront in Camden. The number of new cases jumped to 121 on April 6 after three straight days in which 59 new cases were reported.

Since then, an additional testing site has been opened in the parking lot at Camden County College in Gloucester Township.

Testing began in North Jersey earlier than it did in South Jersey. Five of the bottom six counties in terms of growth are in the southern portion of the state.

It takes 15.5 days for Salem County’s cases to double, and 15 for cases in Burlington County to double. Cases in Atlantic County are also doubling over a 14.5 day period, while it only takes 10 days for cases in Cumberland County to double.

While it is doubling at a slower rate than the rest of the state, cases in Camden County do appear to be going down since the middle of April, according to a chart posted on the county website.

On April 16, an additional 150 cases were reported in the county, bringing the total at that point to 1,722. The following day, the number of new cases dropped to 86. It has not reached 150 since, although 125 new cases were reported on Tuesday.

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