Middle Residents Die from Covid; County Reports Drop in Transmission Rate

COURT HOUSE – This week, the Cape May County Department of Health reported the deaths of two residents from the coronavirus, two women, ages 81 and 69, both of whom are from Middle Township. 
“My heart goes out to the families of those who lost loved ones,” stated Cape May County Commissioner Director Gerald Thornton. “May your memories give you peace and comfort.”
The delta variant continues to be the dominant strain of Covid. 
According to a county release, the latest results from the New Jersey Department of Health estimates that 90% of the new coronavirus cases over a four-week period ending July 24 were from delta. The good news is that the Cape May County rate of infection (RT) has been decreasing from the high of 1.47 July 29 to 1.36 currently. Anytime the RT is above 1.0, it can be said that the spread of Covid is increasing. 
The peak RT for Cape May County was 1.50, in March 2020.
Cape May County has begun a renewed push to encourage residents to get vaccinated. Through television, radio and print advertising, the County Board of Commissioners is informing residents of the increased transmissibility of the delta variant and the need for all eligible residents to get vaccinated.
“Our ‘Finish Strong – Safely Together’ messaging campaign has been very effective,” stated Thornton. “Cape May County is in the top five, in terms of the number of residents vaccinated, but we still have about 30% of our eligible residents who need to get the vaccine. Each person that gets the vaccine moves Cape May County one step closer to putting covid behind us.”
The Cape May County Department of Health is providing Covid vaccinations in the community weekly. This week, vaccines will be available from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Cape May County Park and Zoo, located at 707 Route 9 North, Court House, on August 16, and at the Barefoot Country Music Fest, located at 3601 Boardwalk in Wildwood, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., from Aug. 17-19. Vaccinations are also available every Wednesday at the Cape May County Department of Health building, located at 6 Moore Rd., Court House, from 1-6 p.m.
“The county’s Department of Health is working tirelessly to ensure that it is easy for people to get vaccinated,” stated Cape May County Commissioner Jeffrey Pierson. “We encourage people to protect themselves and their families by getting the Covid vaccine.”
For more information on obtaining the vaccine, quickly and free of charge, go to https://capemaycountynj.gov/226/Health-Department or call 609-465-1187. 
Cape May County has recorded 9,657 Covid cases during the pandemic, 8,970 of which are now off quarantine. More details on daily reported case numbers can be found at https://capemaycountynj.gov/1418/Covid-19-Dashboard.
For vaccine information on where, when, who, and how, please visit capemaycountynj.gov. The Cape May County Department of Health has administered a total of 21,635 doses so far. The New Jersey Department of Health reports that 59,576 Cape May County residents have received at least one vaccine dose, and 54,577 have been fully vaccinated. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 61% of the county’s population is fully vaccinated.