Cape May Man Dies from Covid; 34 New Cases Reported

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COURT HOUSE – Dec. 19: The Cape May County Department of Health is announcing today that 34 new positive test samples were collected among county residents over the past several days.
According to a release, while Cape May County has recorded 3,768 Covid cases during the pandemic, 3,134 of those are now off quarantine. Additionally, there are 16 new out of county positive cases that are included in the nonresident active cases listed.
The county also announced the death of a 64-year-old Cape May man from the coronavirus.
“My thoughts and prayers are with the family at this time,” stated Cape May County Freeholder Director Gerald Thornton.
Contact tracing, a core disease control measure employed by local and state health department personnel for decades, is a key strategy for preventing further spread of Covid. Contact tracing is part of the process of supporting patients with suspected or confirmed infection.
In contact tracing, public health staff work with a patient to help them recall everyone with whom they have had close contact during the timeframe while they may have been infectious. Public health staff then warn these exposed individuals (contacts) of their potential exposure as rapidly and sensitively as possible.
Contacts are provided with education, information, and support to understand their risk, what they should do to separate themselves from others who are not exposed, monitor themselves for illness, and the possibility that they could spread the infection to others even if they themselves do not feel ill.
Contacts are encouraged to stay home and maintain social distance from others (at least 6 feet) until 14 days after their last exposure in case they also become ill. They should monitor themselves by checking their temperature twice daily and watching for cough or shortness of breath.
To the extent possible, public health staff should check in with contacts to make sure they are self-monitoring and have not developed symptoms. Contacts who develop symptoms should promptly isolate themselves and notify public health staff. They should be promptly evaluated for infection and for the need for medical care.