The Cape May County Health Department on Wednesday, April 15th, confirmed that there are a total of 187 cases of Covid-19 in Cape May County. All active cases are either in isolation at their residence or being treated at the hospital.

“COVID-19 cases and deaths continue to rise in Cape May County, now is not the time to become complacent,” Freeholder Director Gerald Thornton said. “We must continue to stay home to protect ourselves, our families, and our community. If you must go out, please make as few trips as possible and wear a mask to protect not only yourself, but other people as well. We need all residents to continue to heed these efforts to protect our vulnerable populations, our health care workers and frontline responders.”

Of the patients who have tested positive to date the age breakdown is as follows:

Most of the patients hospitalized are aged 65 or older, and all of the deaths have occurred in patients 72 or older.

Slowing the spread of COVID-19 through rigorous social distancing is now a major priority for all Americans. But avoiding the illness is especially important for people who are most susceptible to the severe form of COVID-19. If you’re in one of the vulnerable groups below, see below for our advice.

Groups Vulnerable to COVID-19

• People aged 60 and older
• People with weakened immune systems due to chronic illness or medications, including people with autoimmune disease or transplants who are taking immunosuppressive drugs, people with AIDS
• People with serious long-term health conditions including diabetes, heart disease and lung disease such as emphysema and moderate asthma
• Pregnancy (Note: There is currently no evidence that pregnant women are at higher risk of contracting COVID-19 or developing severe illness from it, but we advise extra caution as pregnant women are more susceptible to many viral infections)

If you’re in a group at higher risk for serious illness from COVID-19, taking actions to reduce your risk of exposure is especially important, and you should have a plan in place in the event you do become ill.

Take precautions

• Maintain social distancing in all settings, including maintaining a 6-foot distance from other people.
• Wash your hands with soap frequently throughout the day at home, immediately upon return home from being out, and after any contact with others.
• Regularly disinfect any shared surfaces. Soap and water are adequate if disinfectant is not available.

Watch for warning signs of severe COVID-19 infection

• If you develop severe symptoms associated with COVID-19, seek emergency medical attention right away by calling 911. Those symptoms can include:
• • Severe difficulty breathing
  • Persistent chest pain
  • Fever
• If you do call 911, notify the dispatch personnel that you have, or are being evaluated for COVID-19. If possible, put on a face mask before emergency medical services arrive.

Stay up to date on the current situation as it evolves. Some reliable sources are New Jersey Poison Information and Education System hotline at 1-800-222-1222, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at www.cdc.gov, the World Health Organization at www.who.int, the New Jersey Department of Health at www.nj.gov/health . For additional information visit Cape May County Department of Health at www.cmchealth.net, also like us on Facebook.

The statewide COVID-19 count grew by 2,625 cases and 351 deaths since Tuesday, for a total of 71,030 cases and 3,156 fatalities as of Wednesday, April 15th.

COVID-19 Cases by County
Data is provisional and subject to revision.

Bergen County:

10,848 Positive Test Results

608 Deaths

Essex County:

8,579 Positive Test Results

590 Deaths

Hudson County:

8,511 Positive Test Results

312 Deaths

Union County:

7,438 Positive Test Results

269 Deaths

Passaic County:

6,750 Positive Test Results

182 Deaths

Middlesex County:

6,576 Positive Test Results

248 Deaths

Monmouth County:

4,122 Positive Test Results

167 Deaths

Ocean County:

4,016 Positive Test Results

166 Deaths

Morris County:

3,525 Positive Test Results

212 Deaths

Somerset County:

2,001 Positive Test Results

101 Deaths

Mercer County:

1,856 Positive Test Results

76 Deaths

Camden County:

1,587 Positive Test Results

49 Deaths

Burlington County:

1,261 Positive Test Results

45 Deaths

Gloucester County:

602 Positive Test Results

14 Deaths

Sussex County:

551 Positive Test Results

41 Deaths

Warren County:

468 Positive Test Results

30 Deaths

Hunterdon County:

356 Positive Test Results

14 Deaths

Atlantic County:

322 Positive Test Results

13 Deaths

Cumberland County:

210 Positive Test Results

3 Deaths

Cape May County:

178 Positive Test Results

10 Deaths

Salem County:

84 Positive Test Results

4 Deaths