State Of Emergency Declared For Camden County Due To Coronavirus

CAMDEN COUNTY, NJ — Officials in Camden County have declared a countywide state of emergency to help coordinate local response to the outbreak of new coronavirus. As a result, all nonessential employees and personnel in the county have been asked to work from home beginning Tuesday, officials said.

Government operations are reduced to only essential functions through March 31. All essential employees, such as law enforcement, corrections, public safety, and others as dictated will report to work as usual. Non-essential employees will not report to work but will remain on call to work remotely as needed.

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“The declaration is being utilized to protect the public health and ensure personnel can be home to care for their families during this unprecedented time,” Camden County Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli, Jr. said. “This was not an easy decision to reach, however, our priority is to make judicious decisions that will benefit us all, flatten the curve, and reduce the spread of this virus. We will be constantly reevaluating our operations to ensure that we can provide these services while continuing to protect our employees and our residents.”

Officials are also asking all non-essential businesses in the county to consider voluntarily closing or modifying operations to comply with CDC social distancing recommendations.

“We acknowledge that this request is a tough pill to swallow, and we absolutely do not take that reality lightly, however sacrifices made today are necessary if we are to save lives tomorrow,” Cappelli said. “The science is clear — the more we restrict social interaction, the slower the spread of infection becomes, and the fewer lives ultimately lost. This has become a life or death situation and the time to act is now.”

The announcement came around the same time it was revealed that a third person in Camden County had tested positive for new coronavirus.

A woman in her 50s is currently in self-isolation in her Haddon Township home, officials said on Monday. She is maintaining frequent contact with the Camden County Health Department. Officials believe her initial contact came from an exposure at Newark International Airport. After that, they believe she has only been in contact with one other person, a friend, in addition to her family. Read more here: First Positive Case Of Coronavirus Identified In Haddon Township

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