Health Department issues recommendations about wearing masks
CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE – The Cape May County Department of Health reported there are now 40 active COVID-19 cases in the county. The largest concentration is in Lower Township, with 11 cases.
The department is recommending medical masks be reserved for health care providers, but that other masks can help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
The newest cases in the county include a 56-year-old woman, a 59-year-old woman, a 56-year-old man and a 26-year-old man, according to the department.
Avalon and Middle Township each have five active cases of the coronavirus.
Upper Township, Wildwood and Wildwood Crest have four active cases each.
Dennis Township has three cases, North Wildwood has two cases and the City of Cape May and Ocean City have one active case each.
The Department of Health reported that 13 people in the county have recovered from COVID-19 infections, including three each in Lower and Middle townships, two in Cape May and one each in North Wildwood, Ocean City, Sea Isle City and Upper Township.
Cape May Point, West Cape May, Stone Harbor, West Wildwood and Woodbine reported no active or recovered cases.
“Staying home and avoiding all non-essential contact with others continues to be the most important thing all of us can do to stay healthy and keep others healthy. If you must go out, stay at least six feet apart from others at all times,” the department cautioned.
In a press release issued Friday, April 3, the Cape May County Department of Hewalth said before deciding whether to wear a mask, the recommends:
- Medical masks should be reserved for health care providers who are on the front lines working to protect us all. We have had shortages of those masks – and it’s critically important that our healthcare workers have the equipment they need to do their jobs.
- Non-medical mask use (e.g., homemade fabric masks) does not replace the need to follow guidance to stay home and limit our contact with others. It does not replace frequent handwashing, avoiding touching the face, and staying away from people who are ill. These are the most important steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19 illness.
“Wearing a fabric mask can help prevent the spread of infection to others when the mask is worn by someone who already is infected with the virus that causes COVID-19, even if they don’t have symptoms. The mask will block infectious droplets from spreading when someone with the infection coughs, sneezes and, to a lesser degree, speaks.
“It is not known how much protection homemade cloth masks provide to the person wearing the mask, and this may depend on the quality of the mask and how well it fits. For this reason, homemade and fabric masks should not be considered reliable protection but may provide some benefit.
“Stay up to date on the current situation as it evolves. Some reliable sources are New Jersey Poison Information and Education System hotline at 211 or 1-800-962-1253, 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 COVID19.nj.gov. For additional information visit Cape May County Department of Health at www.cmchealth.net, also like us on Facebook.”
