Cape May County Issues 'Urgent Request' For All To Wear Masks

CAPE MAY COUNTY, NJ — Officials around Cape May County, including all 16 mayors, issued an "urgent request" for all to wear face coverings in public. Cape May County has remained below critical thresholds for coronavirus cases, but officials expect an influx of visitors in July and August.

The County Board of Freeholders, County Chamber Board of Directors and mayors in all 16 towns issued the joint statement Wednesday regarding "universal mask wearing." The statement points out the following exceptions:

• those engaged in outdoor recreation such as swimming, walking, hiking, bicycling or running
• while on the beach, as long as strict social distancing is maintained
• when social distanced and eating or drinking in public at a restaurant, bar or other establishment
• those who "cannot medically tolerate" wearing a face covering
• children 9 or younger

But the request does include the county's boardwalks. New Jersey continues to require face masks in many settings, including grocery stores and retail shops.

“Wherever you are, we welcome you to come here and enjoy your summer in a responsible way,” said Freeholder Len Desiderio, who is the mayor of Sea Isle City. “We’ve had good participation with directives so far, and this urgent mask-wearing request is an important way for us to be proactive and make sure our visitors will not make COVID a summer memory."

New Jersey Coronavirus Updates: Don't miss local and statewide announcements about coronavirus precautions. Sign up for Patch alerts and daily newsletters.

States and regions ahead of New Jersey in the reopening process have experienced surges in the coronavirus, county officials said. Cape May County leaders have focused on mask wearing to avoid a similar outcome.

State officials reported zero new positive cases Wednesday in Cape May County. They have reported 712 overall cases, 69 confirmed deaths and four probable deaths.

The Cape May County Health Department has reported 594 people cleared off quarantine as of Wednesday afternoon.

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

Click here to get Patch email notifications on this or other local news articles or get Patch breaking news alerts sent right to your phone with our app. Download here. Follow Ocean City Patch on Facebook. Have a news tip? Email josh.bakan@patch.com.