3 More Cherry Hill Residents Die Of Coronavirus

CHERRY HILL, NJ — Three more Cherry Hill residents have died after testing positive for the coronavirus, Camden County officials announced on Monday.

A man in his 70s, a man in his 90s and a woman in her 90s, all from Cherry Hill, were among 13 new coronavirus-related deaths in Camden County that were record between Feb. 20 and Feb. 22.

There were also 37 Cherry Hill residents among the 291 additional cases of the coronavirus Camden County officials recorded over the same period.

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“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of 13 additional Camden County residents who lost their battle with this insidious virus,” Camden County Commissioner Director Louis Cappelli Jr. said. “With vaccinations continuing to increase across the country, our fight against COVID-19 has entered a new phase. For the first time in nearly a year, we have a reason to be truly hopeful for what lies ahead. In the weeks and months to come, we will hopefully see life return to something that looks much more like the pre-pandemic normal.”

The other coronavirus-related deaths on Monday included:

• A Pennsauken man in his 80s;
• A Gloucester City man in his 90s;
• A Waterford man in his 80s;
• A Winslow man in his 70s;
• A Clementon woman in her 60s;
• Two Winslow women in their 80s;
• A Voorhees woman in her 60s;
• A Winslow woman in her 60s; and
• A Pine Hill woman in her 60s.

As of Monday, 4,693 Cherry Hill residents have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began. Countywide, 38,738 residents have tested positive, and 1,036 have died.

In addition, the Camden County Department of Health announced 2,302 confirmed resident cases and 1,306 staff cases have occurred at the county’s 56 long-term care facilities. At this time, 458 residents and seven staff members in these facilities have died.

The coronavirus vaccine is also now available in Camden County. Read more here: COVID Vaccine Sites Now Open In Camden County: Here’s Where

Who is eligible for vaccination at this time?
Currently, vaccines are available to the following groups:
Healthcare Personnel (Phase 1A)
Paid and unpaid persons serving in health care settings who have the potential for direct or indirect exposure to patients or infectious materials, including, but not limited to:

• Licensed healthcare professionals like doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and dentists
• Staff like receptionists, janitors, mortuary services, laboratory technicians
• Consultants, per diem, and contractors who are not directly employed by the facility
• Unpaid workers like health professional students, trainees, volunteers, and essential caregivers
• Community health workers, doulas, and public health professionals like Medical Reserve Corps
• Personnel with variable venues like EMS, paramedics, funeral staff, and autopsy workers
• All workers in acute, pediatric, and behavioral health hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers
• All workers in health facilities like psychiatric facilities, Federally Qualified Health Centers, and rehabs
• All workers in clinic-based settings like urgent care clinics, dialysis centers, and family planning sites
• All workers in long-term care settings like nursing homes, assisted living facilities, group homes, and others
• All workers in occupational-based healthcare settings like health clinics within workplaces, shelters, jails, colleges and universities, and K-12 schools
• All workers in community-based healthcare settings like PACE and Adult Living Community Nursing
• All workers in home-based settings like hospice, home care, and visiting nurse services
• All workers in office-based healthcare settings like physician and dental offices
• All workers in public health settings like local health departments, LINCS agencies, harm reduction centers, and medicinal marijuana programs
• All workers in retail, independent, and institutional pharmacies
• Other paid or unpaid people who work in a healthcare setting, who may have direct or indirect contact with infectious persons or materials, and who cannot work from home.

Long-Term Care Residents and Staff (Phase 1A)
All residents and staff of long-term and congregate care facilities, including:

• Skilled nursing facilities
• Veterans homes
• Group homes like residential care homes, adult family homes, adult foster homes, and intellectual and developmental disabilities group homes
• HUD 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly Program residences
• Institutional settings like psychiatric hospitals, correctional institutions, county jails, and juvenile detention facilities (for eligible minors, e.g. 16+ years of age may be eligible for Pfizer vaccine under the emergency use authorization)
• Other vulnerable, congregate, long-term settings

First Responders (Phase 1B)
Sworn law enforcement, firefighters, and other first responders, including:

• New Jersey State Police troopers
• Municipal and county police officers
• Campus police officers
• Detectives in prosecutors' offices and state agencies
• State agency/authority law enforcement officers (such as State Park Police and Conservation officers, Palisades Interstate Parkway officers, Human Services police, and NJ Transit police)
• Investigator, parole and secured facilities officers
• Aeronautical operations specialists
• Sworn federal law enforcement officers and special agents
• Bi-state law enforcement officers (such as the Port Authority)
• Court Security Officers
• Paid and unpaid members of firefighting services (structural and wildland)
• Paid and unpaid members of search and rescue units including technical rescue units and HAZMAT teams
• Paid and unpaid firefighters who provide emergency medical services
• Paid and unpaid members of Industrial units that perform fire, rescue and HAZMAT services
• Members of State Fire Marshal's Offices
• Bi-state fire service personnel (such as the Port Authority)

Individuals at High Risk (Phase 1B)
Individuals aged 65 and older, and individuals ages 16-64 with medical conditions, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that increase the risk of severe illness from the virus. These conditions include:

• Cancer
• Chronic kidney disease
• COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
• Down Syndrome
• Heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies
• Obesity (body mass index [BMI] of 30 kg/m2 or higher but < 40 kg/m2)
• Severe Obesity (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2)
• Sickle cell disease
• Smoking
• Type 2 diabetes mellitus

Individuals who are pregnant and those in an immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from solid organ transplant are also eligible but should follow CDC guidance and first discuss vaccination with their medical provider before receiving the vaccine. If you are currently eligible, click here for more information on where to get vaccinated.

Who is eligible for vaccination next?

• Additional frontline essential workers (Phase 1B)
• Other essential workers and people living in congregate settings (Phase 1C)
• General population (Phase 2)

This group was designated as 1B, and will likely be next:

• Foodservice workers
• Port Authority workers
• New Jersey Transit workers
• Teachers, staff, and childcare workers
• Workers who support radio, print, internet and television news and media services
• Other critical workers (CISA)
• Other essential workers

This group was originally designated as 1C:

• People living or working in congregate or overcrowded settings – such as colleges and universities
• People living or working in congregate or overcrowded settings – such as migrant workers
• People living or working in congregate or overcrowded settings - other tribal populations
• Other people at high risk of COVID-19 illness due to comorbidities, occupations, demographics, etc.

NOTE: Vaccination phases are tentative and subject to change. The movement between vaccination eligibility phases may be fluid. One phase may overlap with another. Not all individuals in each phase will be vaccinated before opening to additional groups, and not all groups within a specific phase will be made eligible to receive the vaccine at the same time.

Officials note that Garden State residents will not be able to receive a vaccine if any of these conditions apply on the day of appointment:

• If you have experienced any of the following symptoms in the past 48 hours: fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion, runny nose, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.
• If, within the past 14 days, you have been in close physical contact (six feet or closer for a cumulative total of 15 minutes) with someone who has laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 or COVID-19 symptoms.
• If you are isolating or quarantining because you may have been exposed to a person with COVID-19 or are worried that you may be sick with COVID-19.
• If you are currently waiting on the results of a COVID-19 test.

Anyone that falls under these categories are asked to cancel their appointment.