By DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
Over the past weekend, there have been only a few positive test results each day for COVID-19 in Cape May County and one new death reported in Middle Township, but on Monday, June 1, the county reported another death in Lower Township and 10 new cases.
In neighboring Atlantic County over the same period, there were about 100 new cases and three deaths, two in Northfield and one in Egg Harbor Township, but on Monday, Atlantic County reported only eight more cases and no new deaths – the lowest daily count in nearly two months.
Statewide, the total number of cases rose to 160,445 with 11,721 deaths as of Monday. COVID-19 cases surpassed 6.2 million worldwide.
Cape May County
On Monday, the Cape May County Department of Public Health reported a 90-year-old woman from Lower Township died in a long-term care facility.
There were two new cases each in Ocean City and North Wildwood and one each in Cape May, Dennis Township and Lower Township. There also were three new cases in long-term care in Lower Township.
On Sunday, the department had only one new case, in Middle Township. On Saturday, there were two new cases, one in Sea Isle City and the other in West Wildwood. And on Friday, an 85-year-old man from Middle Township died from complications of COVID-19 and there were two new cases in Middle Township and one each in Lower Township and Dennis Township.
Of the 49 fatalities in Cape May County, 39 were in long-term care facilities – 27 of them in Lower Township. In the communities at large, Lower Township has had three deaths related to COVID-19, Upper Township, Woodbine and Middle Township each has two, and there is one in Dennis Township.
There are 152 active cases in the county as of Monday, including 37 in Middle Township, 32 in Lower Township and 27 in Upper Township. Ocean City has 13, Dennis Township has 10, North Wildwood has nine, Woodbine has seven, there are four each in Wildwood Crest and West Wildwood, three in Wildwood and Cape May, two in West Cape May and one in Stone Harbor. There are no active cases in Avalon, Cape May Point and Sea Isle City.
There are 114 active cases in long-term care facilities in the county, including 39 in Lower Township, 33 in Dennis Township and 31 in Woodbine. There are six in Middle Township in two in Ocean City.
Overall, there have been 627 reported COVID-19 cases in the county. Of those, 279 are now off quarantine.
Testing
The Cape May County Department of Health said testing is prioritized for health care workers and first responders, personnel in congregate living settings, those who have been in close contact with an individual who has tested positive for COVID-19, and individuals who are experiencing CDC-recognized symptoms of COVID-19 including cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fever (at or above 99.6°F), chills, repeated shaking with chills, headache, sore throat, muscle pain, new loss of taste or smell.
Two kinds of tests are available for COVID-19: viral tests that show a current infection and antibody tests that reveal a previous infection.
The department said an antibody test may not be able to show a current infection because it can take one to three weeks after infection to make antibodies. “We do not know yet if having antibodies to the virus can protect someone from getting infected with the virus again, or how long that protection might last,” a spokesman said.
COVID-19 Testing Locations in Cape May County:
– Cape Regional Urgent Care – Cape May Court House – 609-465-6364
– Cape Regional Urgent Care – Marmora – 609-465-6364
– Cape Urgent Care – Wildwood – 609-465-6364
– Complete Care Health Network – 609-465-0258
– CVS – Seaville – 609-624-2310 – starting June 1, 2020
– Village Pharmacy – Marmora – Antibody Testing – no appointment needed Monday through Friday 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.
Atlantic County
On Monday, the Atlantic County Division of Public Health reported the lowest daily number of new cases in nearly two months – eight.
There were six men from 19 to 62 years of age who tested positive for COVID-19 and two women, one 37, the other 71, who tested positive.
Egg Harbor Township, Galloway and Pleasantville each had two new positives while Hamilton Township and Hammonton each had one.
Over the weekend, Atlantic County public health officials have confirmed the death of a 93-year-old Egg Harbor Township woman who was a resident of a long-term care facility and had pre-existing health conditions.
Officials also reported new infections among individuals from 6 years of age to 96.
The county reported 33 new positive test results on Saturday, May 30, among nine males, ages 6 to 74, and 24 females, ages 15 to 93; and 27 positives on Sunday, May 31 among eight males, ages 35 to 63 and 19 females, ages 26 to 96.
The weekend cases included 12 in Atlantic City, nine each in Galloway, Hammonton and Northfield, eight in Pleasantville, three each in Absecon and Egg Harbor Township, two in Somers Point, and one each in Buena Borough, Egg Harbor City, Folsom, Hamilton Township and Margate.
Through June 1, Atlantic County has confirmed 2,273 residents who have tested positive for COVID-19 and 159 deaths with 894 residents cleared as recovered.
On Friday, May 29, the division of public health reported two Northfield women, ages 86 and 103, died from complications of COVID-19. Both were residents of long-term care facilities and had pre-existing health conditions.
Atlantic County health officials confirmed 34 new positive COVID-19 cases among 17 males, ages 18 to 79 and 17 females, ages 4 to 78.
Fifteen of today’s confirmations were found in Hammonton and five each in Atlantic City and Pleasantville. Egg Harbor Township had four new cases while Absecon, Buena Borough, Galloway Township, Hamilton Township and Somers Point each had one.
On Thursday, the county confirmed 24 new cases of COVID-19 in 13 men, ages 23 to 67 and 11 women, ages 22 to 69.
Six of Friday’s cases were identified in Hammonton, four each in Atlantic City and Pleasantville and three in Egg Harbor Township. One new positive was reported in Buena Vista Township, Galloway Township, Hamilton Township, Longport, Northfield, Somers Point and Weymouth Township.
Atlantic County COVID-19 testing is 9 a.m. to noon Thursday, June 4, for symptomatic county residents with a doctor’s prescription, proof of residency and appointment confirmation. The testing location is in Northfield, behind the county’s Public Works facility, at Route 9 (New Road) and Dolphin Avenue. Appointments can be made on the county web site at www.aclink.org.
Those who are unable to keep their appointments are asked to cancel so others may have an opportunity to be tested.