More Than 1.8M Pieces Of PPE Distributed In Burlington County

BURLINGTON COUNTY, NJ — Burlington County has distributed more than 1.8 million items of personal protective equipment (PPE) and supplies to first responders and long-term care facilities as it continues to combat the coronavirus pandemic, officials announced Monday morning.

“Equipping police, firefighters, EMS and other front-line health care workers with personal protective equipment remains a key part of the county’s pandemic response, even as the number of new infections in the county has decreased,” Dr. Herb Conaway, the director of the county Department of Health and the leader of the county’s COVID-19 Task Force, said. “First responders and health care workers are on the front lines of this crisis. Making sure they are properly equipped continues to be foremost among our priorities. While the number of new cases has come down significantly since April and May, the virus is still active here and in other parts of the country. We cannot relax and open the door to a resurgence.”

Officials said it is particularly important to protect residents at long-term care facilities, who are particularly vulnerable to the virus.

“We know that residents of these communities face the highest risks from infections, so we want to make sure these facilities have the equipment and supplies to keep their residents safe and healthy,” Burlington County Freeholder Dan O’Connell, the board’s liaison to the Department of Health, said.

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As of Sunday night, there were 5,882 cases of the coronavirus in Burlington County with 445 confirmed deaths and 48 probable deaths, according to county officials. There are 1,016 cases among residents at the county’s long-term care facilities and 558 cases among staff members, according to numbers provided by the state.

The county had distributed more than 637,000 surgical masks, 327,000 gloves, 20,000 protective gowns, 85,000 face shields, 86,000 K95 or KN95 masks to more than 60 long-term care facilities and health care providers in the county.

Another 308,000 surgical masks, 153,700 gloves, 14,900 gowns, 35,000 face shields and close to 200,000 K95 and KN95s were distributed to first responders in the county’s 40 municipalities to distribute to their police and fire departments and Emergency Medical Service (EMS) providers.

In addition to distributing PPE, the Health Department continues to offer free coronavirus testing to all county residents at clinics being held remotely throughout the county.

As of Monday, more than 7,000 residents had undergone testing through the county’s program, including more than 1,200 tested at six mobile clinics held earlier this month in Medford, Mount Holly, Palmyra, Florence, Bordentown City and Moorestown. Read more here: More Than 200 Tested At Moorestown Coronavirus Mobile Test Site

Additional clinics are also scheduled to be held on the following dates:

• July 28 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Kennedy Park near the Keegan Center in Burlington City;
• July 30 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the former Mosquito Control Building on East Greenbush Road in Bass River;
• Aug. 4 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Pemberton Township High School on Arney’s Mount Road in Pemberton Township;
• Aug. 6 from 9 a.m to 11 a.m. at the Kennedy Center on John F. Kennedy Way in Willingboro.

No prescription or doctor’s note is required, but residents are encouraged to pre-register for testing by calling 609-726-7097.

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