The new deaths occurred between June 11 and July 2, according to the county. That brings the local death toll to 479 lives lost and 7,954 people sickened by the virus.
By Matt Skoufalos | July 6, 2020
NJDOH COVID-19 Dashboard – 7-6-20. Credit: NJDOH.
Another 15 Camden County residents have died from complications related to novel coronavirus (COVID-19), and 114 others have been infected with the virus, the Camden County government announced Monday.
That brings the local death toll to 479 residents lost to the pandemic and 7,954 others sickened by the virus.
Throughout New Jersey, 173,611 people have been sickened by COVID-19, and 13,373 have perished from causes related to the virus; another 1,856 deaths have been deemed to be probably COVID-19-related as well.
Rate of transmission (Rt) above 1.0, spot positivity highest in South Jersey
The statewide average of COVID-19 spot positivity testing stood at 2.14 percent June 2; in South Jersey, it’s more than double, at 5.38 percent.
For the first time in 10 weeks, Rt, or the statewide estimated rate of transmission of new cases of the virus, exceeded 1.0.
That means every new case of COVID-19 is leading to at least one other new case, and the virus is spreading more rapidly.
On July 4, Rt stood at 1.03—up significantly from a low of 0.62 recorded June 9—as North Jersey communities reported new outbreaks of the virus tied to travel to other COVID-19 hotspots nationwide, including a June wedding in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Governor Phil Murphy – COVID-19 Briefing – 7-6-20. Credit: NJ Pen.
“This is an early warning sign that quite frankly we need to do more,” Governor Phil Murphy said.
“Just one selfish person can undo the hard work that the rest of you all have done.
“I do not want to have to hit another pause on our restart because a small number of New Jerseyans are being irresponsible and spreading COVID-19 while the rest of us continue to work hard to stop it,” he said.
“But we all need to be traveling down this road together.”
New Jersey Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli said reports from the weekend indicate a critical need for travelers to and from hotspot states to quarantine upon arriving in New Jersey. She pointed to the availability of housing resources and other social services for those who need them.
“We know it is an inconvenience to separate yourself from others and to stay home for 14 days, but it is vital for breaking the chain of transmission,” Persichilli said. “State and local governments can assist you with quarantine; please reach out if you need support.”
LTC cases and deaths
According to the New Jersey Department of Health COVID-19 dashboard, on July 6, Camden County was second in the state in new COVID-19 cases, with 18.
“We have to be unequivocal in this moment,” said Camden County Freeholder-Director Lou Cappelli in a statement. “If we do not take this threat seriously, we will erase the progress we have made in recent months.
“Do not travel to states with high rates of transmission unless it is absolutely necessary, and follow the self-quarantine guidelines when you return home if traveling is a must,” Cappelli said.
“Do not congregate in large groups, especially indoors,” he said. “Do not travel to states with high rates of transmission unless it is absolutely necessary, and follow the self-quarantine guidelines when you return home if traveling is a must.”
LTC cases and deaths
Long-term care (LTC) facilities account for almost half of all deaths in the state and one-fifth of those infected, and new cases are still being discovered there.
Of 7,954 reported local COVID-19 cases, 1,807 (23 percent) have originated in a Camden County LTC facility: 1,318 are residents and 489 are staff.
LTCs are believed to be associated with 64 percent, or 305 of the 479 total deaths in Camden County; 302 were residents and three were staff.
More than half the 56 LTCs in Camden County (30) have experienced at least one case of COVID-19.
The deceased are:
- two Camden City women, one each in her 60s and 80s
- three Cherry Hill men, one each in his 70s, 80s, and 90s; and a woman in her 90s
- a Clementon woman in her 70s
- five Gloucester Township women, three in their 90s and two in their 80s; and a man in his 80s
- two Voorhees men in their 70s
The newest local cases are:
- two Bellmawr women, one each in her 20s and 40s
- a Berlin woman in her 80s
- a Berlin Township man in his 20s
- 13 Camden City women, five in their 30s, three in their 20s, two teenaged girls, a young girl, and one each in her 40s and 60s; and 10 men, three in their 30s, two teenaged boys, two in their 20s, and one each in his 40s, 50s, and 60s
- 12 Cherry Hill men, four in their 30s, two each in their 20s, 40s, and 80s, a teenaged boy and one in his 50s; and six women, two teenaged girls, two in their 30s, and one each in her 40s and 50s
- a Gloucester City man in his 20s
- nine Gloucester Township women, three in their 20s, two each in their 30s and 50s, and one each in her 40s and 60s; and seven men, two each in their 20s and 30s, a young boy, and one each in his 40s and 60s
- a Haddon Township woman in her 30s and a teenaged girl
- a Haddonfield woman in her 20s
- a Lawnside woman in her 20s and man in his 30s
- a Lindenwold man in his 50s and a young boy; and a woman in her 30s
- two Merchantville men, one each in his 20s and 50s; and two women, one each in her 20s and 50s
- three Pennsauken men, one each in his 20s, 50s, and 60s; and two women, one each in her 50s and 70s
- a Pine Hill man in his 70s and a young boy; and a woman in her 20s
- a Runnemede man in his 70s
- a Stratford man in his 50s
- five Voorhees women, two in their 20s and one each in her 30s, 40s, and 70s; and a man in his 50s
- six Waterford men, three in their 60s, and one each in his 20s, 40s, and 50s; and two women, one each in her 50s and 60s
- eight Winslow men, three in their 40s, two in their 30s, and one each in his 20s, 70s, and 80s; and seven women, three each in their 20s and 40s, and one in her 70s
- a Woodlynne man in his 50s
The Camden County and New Jersey Health Departments are working to facilitate trace investigations into all cases.
