CMCo Averaging 5 New Covid Cases Per Day; RT Falls to 0.57

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COURT HOUSE – May 28: The average number of new cases in Cape May County over the past week has been five new cases per day. This is a decrease of more than 70% from one month ago.
According to a release, Cape May County has recorded 8,786 Covid cases during the pandemic, 8,525 of those are now off quarantine.
The Cape May County Department of Health has administered a total of 20,907 doses so far. The New Jersey Department of Health reports that 53,375 Cape May County residents have received at least one vaccine dose, and 47,003 have been fully vaccinated.
Cape May County has recorded yet another record low Covid infection rate. The rate of transmission (RT) is currently 0.57. This means that on average, each individual who tests positive for Covid in Cape May County is infecting 0.57 other people. This means that the number of cases in Cape May County is decreasing at this time. 
This breaks the record low RT of .64, which the county was at last week. 
Cape May County’s positive test rate for Covid is just below 1%. This is the lowest percentage that the county has been at since Oct. 19, 2020. 
The indoor mask mandate has been removed for vaccinated people in most cases in New Jersey, as of today. Face coverings will still be required on public transportation, at schools, childcare settings, health care centers, and inside of state offices, like the Motor Vehicle Commission. This move follows the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) previously issued guidance. This comes a week after most indoor capacity limits were eliminated, including at restaurants and bars.
“These restrictions being lifted on our businesses are so important after our residents have done the hard work over the past year to keep Covid cases below the state average and now vaccinating at one of the highest per-capita rates in New Jersey,” stated Cape May County Commissioner Gerald Thornton, who also serves as the liaison to the Cape May County Tourism Department. “We are expecting a great summer here, in Cape May County, as more people continue to get vaccinated daily.”
The CDC reports that 54% of Cape May County’s total population has been fully vaccinated. This also includes 82% of the county’s 65-year-old and up population that has been vaccinated. This is the age group most at risk to have a serious medical issue if they catch Covid
“We continue to push to reach our vaccination goal and are encouraged that people continue to sign up to get the shot,” stated Commissioner Jeff Pierson, liaison to the Cape May County Department of Health. “Case numbers continue to plummet as more people receive the vaccine. We will continue to provide every person who wants the shot the chance to get it.”
The Cape May County Department of Health is pleased to invite the public to the Cape May County Covid-19 Awareness Day and Health Fair, at the Wildwood Convention Center, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 5. The Johnson & Johnson Covid vaccine will be available at the event, while supplies last. Additionally, this event will also showcase 20 different health care organizations that service Cape May County.
The Cape May County Department of Health’s vaccine clinic has moved from Avalon Community Hall to the field House, at Lower Cape May Regional High School. The clinic will be open Monday (except May 31, in observation of Memorial Day), Wednesday, and Friday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and anyone who wants the vaccine can walk in. Also, to help those who can’t get in during work hours, the clinic will be open from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, as well as from 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays.
For the Pfizer vaccine for children aged 12 to 17, residents should go to the mega-site clinic, in Atlantic City, or contact their local CVS Pharmacy, Walmart, Acme or Walgreens, which may have the Pfizer vaccine. The Johnson & Johnson and Moderna vaccines are available through the Cape May County Department of Health. 
The CDC recently issued a warning to women aged 50 and younger that a very rare but serious blood clotting side-effect has been seen in a very small number of women after use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and recommends that women in this age group utilize the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines.
“We thank our Cape May County residents for all of the hard work they have done over the past 14 months,” stated Commissioner Vice-Director Leonard Desiderio, co-chair of the county’s Recovery Task Force. “It is because of you we have kept case counts low, saved lives, and now our businesses are ready for the summer season to begin in full.”
For more information, including the daily reported case numbers, go to https://capemaycountynj.gov/1418/Covid-19-Dashboard. 
For vaccine information on where, when, who, and how, please visit capemaycountynj.gov.