The Wrap’ is a feature from the Herald editorial team that offers our take on the news of the week. Get ‘The Wrap’ in your inbox every Monday by signing up at https://bit.ly/HeraldWrap.
Dec. 14-20
2 Vaccines Provide Hope
This week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Moderna’s vaccine for emergency use, increasing the potential number of doses that can arrive by the end of the year.
Moderna’s vaccine does not have the same special, ultra-cold storage requirements as Pfizer’s, making it easier to distribute it to areas less likely to have specialized refrigeration equipment.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended a second priority list for those who should receive the vaccine’s early allotments. Following the priority for health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities, the CDC said the priority should be given to other frontline workers and those over age 74. In Stone Harbor, first responders will begin getting the vaccine, in January.
Even with other vaccines likely to be approved soon, it’s expected to be months before enough doses will be available to inoculate the general population.
Meanwhile, Christmas approaches, and the case count continues to climb. The high point this week saw 58 new resident cases reported Dec. 15.
The Cape May County Health Department reported 317 new cases of laboratory-confirmed Covid infections. Even with this rise in new cases, the active resident cases in the county declined by 37 because health officials removed 349 individuals from quarantine.
The number of county Covid-related fatalities increased by five this week. December through the end of this week saw 18 county residents succumb to the disease, which makes December the highest month for county resident fatalities since May.
The most recent report from Cape Regional Medical Center (CRMC) showed 26 Covid patients, with six patients requiring intensive care. CRMC has the specialized ultra-cold storage available to handle Pfizer’s vaccine and began inoculating its frontline workers Dec. 17.
The week also saw 18 nonresident cases reported, all in Cape May, bringing the total of nonresident active cases in the city to 25. The city also has eight active cases among residents.
Through it all, local businesses continue to find creative ways to safely serve customers, while shortages at food pantries attest to the hidden toll the pandemic is taking, even on those not infected.
With the holidays near and the pandemic a continuing threat, families are creating new ways to share holiday joy. Some county residents found contentment in helping children ages 2 to 14 across the globe through Operation Christmas Child.
Municipal Actions
In Cape May, the year’s last council meeting saw the announcement of a new police chief, a veteran of the department, along with the adoption of hundreds of historic home surveys that help document the city’s landmark status.
With the November vote completed concerning dueling bond referendums, Cape May will proceed with constructing a new firehouse. The governing body disbanded the citizen advisory committee on a unified public safety building.
State funds were awarded to a nonprofit, in Ocean City, to build 10 affordable rental housing units. The trust fund supporting the grant receives its funding from realty transfer fees from home sales.
Avalon adopted an ordinance establishing a process implementing wireless communication upgrades, including the distribution of small cell technology necessary for implementing 5G networks.
Michael Donohue, a former Superior Court judge, was announced as North Wildwood’s new city solicitor.
Woodbine advertised a multimillion-dollar water project that includes needed upgrades to the water treatment plant and water main extensions in the borough.
Wildwood Crest announced a volunteer-based snow removal program to aid senior citizens and others who may require assistance during snowy periods.
All that work to make the power grid more resilient to weather-related problems will cost customers. Atlantic City Electric is seeking a rate hike to offset the investments made.
Fire Departments Busy
A Dec. 13 fire in a one-story dwelling, in South Dennis, saw aid arrive from multiple fire companies, underscoring the importance of mutual aid arrangements in emergency response.
Fire Departments from Ocean City, Margate, and Marmora, along with Upper Township Emergency Medical Services, managed to extinguish a blaze at a seasonal home on Asbury Avenue, in Ocean City, in 45 minutes. The home’s residents weren’t home during the incident, and no injuries were reported.
In Stone Harbor, 108 years of fire protection by a volunteer company ended this week when eight full-time paid firefighters / emergency medical technicians (EMTs) were sworn in at Borough Hall.
The borough became dependent on volunteers who cannot afford to live on the island that response time to emergencies was not able to be maintained at desired levels. The new combined department will be largely volunteer, but all shifts will have paid firefighters/EMTs present, stationed at the firehouse.
The Public Protection Classification status of the Wildwood Crest Volunteer Fire Company increased from a 4 to a 3. The classification scale runs from 10 to 1, with 1 as the highest level of property protection.
And…
Parents, in Woodbine, are seeking nursing assistance to bring their 4-month-old daughter home from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for the holidays.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife endorsed the monarch butterfly as a candidate for protection under the Endangered Species Act.
Despite the many demands of coping with the pandemic, CRMC increased its score on a national ranking system that rates thousands of hospitals across the nation twice a year.
