Camden County To Crack Down On Self-Serve Violators

CAMDEN COUNTY, NJ — As part of its expanded State of Emergency declaration issued on March 18, Camden County officials ordered all convenience and grocery stores to discontinue self-serve beverage and food offerings. However, that order has been ignored by many retailers, officials said on Tuesday.

“To any retailer who believes they can continue to put our residents’ lives at risk without penalty, you are wrong,” Camden County Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli Jr. said. “We will not tolerate these dangerous, short-sighted actions. Our only goal at this time is to stop the spread of coronavirus, flatten the curve, and reduce the number of lives ultimately lost to this pandemic. Retailers who do not share these goals and take the required actions to comply with the measures put in place by the Board will be penalized to the maximum extent possible.”

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The order includes 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.

On Tuesday afternoon, Cappelli reiterated his support for local restaurants, who are still open for take-out and delivery after Gov. Phil Murphy's "Stay at Home" order was issued on Saturday.

“This crisis has sent a shock throughout the entire American economy. While many big companies will be able to weather the storm, small businesses owned and operated by our friends and neighbors here in Camden County are already struggling to stay afloat as we undergo necessary social distancing measures to protect the lives of our residents," Cappelli said. "During this time, I want to encourage everyone who can to continue supporting their favorite local restaurants by ordering takeout or delivery. These businesses are still allowed to open and operate pursuant to the governor’s orders and are eager to serve the people of our community. Not only does your order support your favorite establishment’s owners, cooks, and employees, but could help one of the thousands of gig workers on platforms like DoorDash and Grubhub. Your support is critical, now more than ever. We are all in this together.”

As of Monday morning, there have been 41 positive cases of new coronavirus reported in the county, including one death. Read more here: Camden County's First Coronavirus Death Reported

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.