Health Officer institutes new COVID-19 recommendations 

(Gloucester Township, NJ) – Based on reporting by the state Department of Health for the week ending today, Dec. 23, Camden County has joined 18 other counties throughout New Jersey with a high community level for COVID-19. In addition, the state DOH has also reported that transmission of the virus, like the rest of New Jersey is high as well in the county.

Based on this new information and in-line with recommendations from the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) the Camden County Health Officer, Paschal Nwako, is making a handful of recommendations to residents during the holiday season.

“Based on the amount of virus in the community and several other respiratory viruses including the flu, everyone should consider wearing a well-fitting mask indoors, especially in crowded places, regardless of vaccination status,” Nwako said. “This holiday season we know so many of our residents will be gathering to celebrate indoors and especially with this significant cold snap it will further bring people together inside. That said, our community needs to be cognizant of the risks right now from COVID-19, flu and RSV. We have seen hospitalizations rise over the last month and we want residents to make informed decisions about their health and help protect them from these aggressive viruses.”

The Health Officer is also making recommendations for those in our community that are immunocompromised or at greater risk of exposure.

• Wear a mask or respirator that provides you with greater protection.
• Consider avoiding non-essential indoor activities in public where you could be exposed.
• Talk to your healthcare provider about whether you need to take other precautions (e.g., testing).
• Have a plan for rapid testing if needed (e.g., having home tests or access to testing).
• If you get COVID-19 talk to your healthcare provider about whether you are a candidate for treatments like oral antivirals, PrEP, and monoclonal antibodies.

Also, the Camden County Health Officer has also offered additional recommendations for residents:

• Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines and boosters.
• Maintain improved ventilation throughout indoor spaces when possible.
• Follow CDC recommendations for isolation and quarantine, including getting tested if you are exposed to COVID-19 or have symptoms of COVID-19.

The Camden County Health Hub will be open for vaccine administration and for free rapid tests from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, Dec 27. You can make an appointment for a vaccine at the Camden County Health Hub by visiting www.CamdenCountyVaccine.com. The Health Hub will go back to its regularly schedule hours after New Year’s Day every Tuesday and Thursday from 2 to 6 p.m.

To date, 426,847 Camden County residents have received at least one of the COVID-19 vaccine, 381,599 have received two doses and 252,364 have received a third dose. More information regarding vaccination rates throughout the county and available on the state’s COVID-19 dashboard at covid19.nj.gov.

###