The statement below is by Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli Jr. in regard to the Governor Phil Murphy’s stay at home order.

“To be clear, we are entering a critical phase of the battle against COVID-19 in Camden County. There has not been a time in this nation’s history, not since we as a nation, were called to fight the evils of fascism in WWII, that we have asked for this kind of national participation to save lives. We are asking for your attention to be turned to your most basic instinct to preserve our community by following Governor Murphy’s Executive Order 107, so we can flatten the curve and stop the spread of this virus. We have one tool in this fight that we know works, and that is for residents to just stay home. By doing this you will ensure that your interactions with possible carriers of the virus and the threat to your health is drastically reduced and most likely eliminated. You will also stop the spread to your neighbors, friends and loved ones.

Furthermore, we know this statewide movement will have an impact and will provide time for medical professionals to develop the medication and vaccine needed to stop the virus in its tracks. There is no greater commitment to our nation today than staying home.

Moving forward, in consultation with county health professionals, we see this commitment and dedication to our community continuing for weeks and maybe months. The virus is now part of our everyday reality and has ceased being something that we can track from travel. It is here, and it is with us on a daily basis. These measures will be in place and we will all make sacrifices for as long as it takes until we are in the clear of the catastrophic impact of COVID-19.

I also would be remiss if I didn’t stop to thank all of the people working on the front lines of this battle for their service. Everyone from first responders and healthcare professionals to truck drivers and food service employees – your dedication to our residents has been nothing short of inspiring to me and the county. I also would like to mention every public servant in government working day and night to find resources and supplies to battle this public health crisis. In addition, I want to thank the Governor for these bold actions during this critical time period.

In short, just stay home. Only leave your house for essential goods, an emergency, a walk in the park and always use social distancing standards of six feet or more. When this is over, we can return to our social norms, but until that time we must remain vigilant and never give up on our objective – stopping the spread of COVID-19.”

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