Camden County Testing Site To Close As New Coronavirus Cases Drop

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ — Another good sign for Camden County amid the coronavirus pandemic: the drive-thru testing site will close for good on Friday.

The coronavirus testing site at Camden County College will cease operations at 4 p.m. Friday, Camden County officials announced Wednesday morning. Sites in Camden and Cherry Hill will continue to operate.

The announcement comes as the number of new cases of the coronavirus continues to drop in the county. On Tuesday, there were just 15 new cases announced in Camden County.

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It was the lowest number of new cases since 14 were reported on June 17. The number of new cases has been fewer than 20 four days in the past week. Read more here: New Camden County Coronavirus Cases Drop Below 20 Again

As cases continue to drop, appointments at the testing center continue to drop, officials said. The average number of new cases per day in the county dropped by roughly 60 percent over this span, officials said.

“We have observed a concurrent reduction in testing appointments at the site, as cases throughout Camden County and the region have continued to fall. At this time, we feel confident that the site at Camden County College has served its purpose and can cease operations without impacting the availability of resources in the community,” Camden County Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli Jr. said. “Testing capacity among healthcare providers and businesses like Rite Aid and CVS has increased significantly since the beginning of this pandemic. With our cases showing serious decline, there is no longer a significant need for a site at this location. Rest assured, the Freeholder Board will be standing by and will be prepared to respond if these factors change.”

On Monday, Gov. Phil Murphy pointed to the findings of researchers and epidemiologists from the group "Covid Act Now" that has determined three states — New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts — are the only ones on track to contain the coronavirus.

Murphy said New Jersey got there because of the social distancing measures that have been in place since March, and the self-discipline New Jerseyans have shown in adhering to those measures. Read more here: Gov. Murphy: NJ 'On Track' To Contain Coronavirus; Here's Why

Camden County officials and Jefferson Health New Jersey jointly launched the site on April 15, with a focus on first responders, healthcare workers and other frontline, essential personnel throughout the pandemic.

Late last month, they adjusted the hours of operation to expand the availability of services to residents in need of testing.

See more stories about New Jersey's coronavirus recovery.

The Camden County Freeholder Board will continue to operate its remaining testing site in Camden City, located at 3101 Federal Street. More information on testing and appointment is available at camdencounty.com.

Jefferson Health New Jersey continues to operate two drive-through testing sites in Cherry Hill and Washington Township. For more information, visit: https://newjersey.jeffersonhealth.org.

Rite Aid stores at 101 White Horse Pike in Clementon, at 500 Woodbury-Glassboro Road in Sewell and at 501 Clements Bridge Road in Barrington also offer self-swab testing testing for the coronavirus.

CVS stores at 5000 Route 42 in Gloucester Township and at 1 Route 70 East in Cherry Hillalso offer testing for the coronavirus.

Read more: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know