Camden County Sees Most New COVID-19 Cases In 1 Day Since January

CAMDEN COUNTY, NJ — Camden County on Thursday reported the highest number of new coronavirus cases in a single day since January when officials announced that 170 new cases had been reported.

The average number of new cases per day had been 101, Camden County Commissioner Jonathan Young said during a news conference Thursday afternoon.

"We're seeing this trend in states across the country," Camden County Assistant Public Health Coordinator Caryelle Lasher said. "It's often because people are no longer social distancing like they should, they're meeting inside, and there are different variants that are more contagious."

“This virus is very much still active in our community, and we have to continue treating it as the threat it is,” Camden County Commissioner Director Louis Cappelli Jr. said in a release announcing the cases. “While vaccinations are increasing at a rapid pace, the majority of our residents remain unvaccinated and vulnerable to severe illness caused by this disease. Please do not rush a return to normal. We can get to the end of this pandemic without another major spike in cases but only if we continue to fight COVID-19 with every tool in our arsenal.”

Officials said that residents should continue to follow guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about maintaining 6 feet of social distancing and wearing face coverings, among other steps, to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

They should also continue to avoid large gatherings, reiterating that there were spikes in cases after Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Getting vaccinated is a way to stop the spread, officials have said. Cases had been on the decline since the Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines became available.

The COVID-19 vaccination site at Camden County College in Gloucester Township is now vaccinating about 2,000 people a day, Young said.

As of Thursday, there have been 41,234 cases of the coronavirus and 1,109 coronavirus-related deaths in Camden County since the pandemic began more than a year ago. Trace investigations are underway in all new cases.

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

The increase comes as schools look for ways to add more in-person instruction amid the pandemic. Gov. Phil Murphy has said New Jersey schools should be reopening. Read more here: Gov. Murphy: NJ Schools Should Move To Reopen 'Now' Amid COVID-19

Camden City Public Schools are planning to restart in-school instruction making the gymnasium space no longer viable for pop-up testing. The testing sites are currently running out of three community schools in the city.

The new locations will remain in the city and will be located at the KIPP Cooper Norcross Academy in the Lanning Square neighborhood and at Malandra Hall in the Fairview neighborhood.

“We believe maintaining a testing infrastructure in the city is important for residents in Camden and throughout the county,” Cappelli said. “Considering the spread of the virus in the city we felt that, even though testing demand has significantly been reduced since January, it was critical to continue to keep our operation going while this pandemic continues to evolve.”

The schedule for the new locations is as follows:

Mondays- Kipp Cooper Norcross Academy will be open to the public from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The school is in the Lanning Square neighborhood and located at 525 Clinton St, Camden, 08103.

Thursdays- Malandra Hall will be open to the public from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The community center is in the Fairview neighborhood located at 1200 S Merrimac Rd, Camden, 08104.

The Camden County Commissioners will continue to keep the testing site at the Department of Public Works Complex operating on Tuesdays at the Charles DePalma Public Works Complex, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This testing site is located at 2311 Egg Harbor Road, Lindenwold, 08021.

The testing site located at the Camden County College-Cherry Hill campus and the Camden City testing site adjacent to Cooper University Health Care’s main campus at the intersection of Broadway and Martin Luther King Boulevard will also continue to operate during regularly scheduled hours at this time.

The pop-up testing sites in Camden City do not require an appointment. The mobile testing sites are open to county residents, by appointment, who meet other criteria (exposure, pending surgery/procedure, travel, school, work, or daycare requirements).

For more information or to schedule an appointment, visit https://www.camdencounty.com/service/covid-19-updates-and-preparations/testing-site-locations/.

Camden County runs the vaccination site in the Papiano Gym at the college in partnership with Cooper University Health Care and Jefferson Health-New Jersey, and currently provides approximately one of every four vaccinations administered throughout the county, officials said.

These vaccinations and those provided by the county's other healthcare partners and pharmacies have provided more than 31 percent of the eligible population with at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in Camden County, officials said.

The current countywide count of vaccine doses is 122,291 first doses and 61,333 second doses. More than 80,000 seniors over the age of 65 throughout the county have received their vaccination.

The Camden County Vaccination Clinic is currently open to those with appointments only, Monday through Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Appointments are available for eligible residents at camdencountyvaccine.com.

Vaccine eligibility is determined by the state. Those currently eligible for vaccination include:

• Persons aged 65 and older
• Persons aged 16 to 64 years old, who have at least one of the following chronic medical conditions that poses high-risk for severe COVID-19:
• Cancer
• Chronic kidney disease
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Down syndrome
• Heart conditions (including heart failure, coronary artery disease, and cardiomyopathy)
• Obesity (BMI greater than 30)
• Sickle cell disease
• Type-2 diabetes
• Smoking
• Immunocompromised due to organ transplant (talk to your doctor)
• Pregnancy (talk to your doctor)
• Educators, including support staff, in pre-K through 12th grade settings;
• Childcare workers in licensed and registered settings;
• Public and local transportation workers, including bus, taxi, rideshare, and airport employees; NJ TRANSIT workers; and Motor Vehicle Commission staff;
• Public safety workers who are not sworn law enforcement or fire professionals, including probation officers and fire safety inspectors;
• Migrant farmworkers;
• Members of tribal communities; and
• Individuals experiencing homelessness and those living in shelters, including domestic violence shelters.

Additionally, beginning on March 29, frontline essential workers in the following categories are also eligible for vaccination:

• Food production, agriculture, and food distribution;
• Eldercare and support;
• Warehousing and logistics;
• Social services support staff;
• Elections personnel;
• Hospitality;
• Medical supply chain;
• Postal and shipping services;
• Clergy; and,
• Judicial system.

Anyone who is having difficulty scheduling an appointment online or anyone who needs to reschedule their second appointment can email COVID19VaxCenter@camdencounty.com. For more information, call the COVID-19 Vaccination Center Hotline at 856-549-0530.