Camden County To Provide Update On COVID-19 Pandemic Monday

CAMDEN COUNTY, NJ — Camden County officials will provide an update on the coronavirus pandemic during a virtual town hall Monday afternoon, as cases continue to climb countywide.

As of Friday, there have been 66,222 coronavirus cases and 1,379 coronavirus-related deaths in Camden County since the pandemic began in March 2020.

“Now is the time to take all of the necessary precautions to stay safe and healthy,” Camden County Commissioner Director Louis Cappelli, Jr. said. “Mask up, get your booster and if you haven’t been vaccinated yet, please do so. You can make an appointment for your first or second dose or your booster shot at the Camden County Health Hub by visiting www.CamdenCountyVaccine.com.”

The state’s vaccination dashboard was not updated as of Friday afternoon. The Camden County Health Department is continuing to closely track new cases of COVID-19 and information regarding the prevalence of the delta variant. New cases are often reassigned to other municipalities over the course of an investigation.

Monday's town hall event will begin at noon and will stream live at camdencounty.com/live as well as on the Camden County Facebook page.

Questions from the public are already being collected on www.CamdenCounty.com, and residents will have the opportunity to submit questions during the town hall on Facebook.

“With cases on the rise again, we want to discuss the importance of getting vaccinated and getting booster shots during this town hall,” Camden County Commissioner Jonathan Young said. “All adults are eligible for all three boosters, and children ages 16 and 17 can now get the Pfizer booster. We’re going to discuss where you can get your booster, changes coming to the Camden County Health Hub, and we’ll touch upon the guidelines you should follow during Christmas and New Year’s.”

Young will be joined by Jefferson Health Chief Patient Safety and Quality Officer Dr. David P. May and Camden County Assistant Public Health Coordinator Caryelle Lasher during the address.

The address will originate from Camden County College, site of the Camden County Health Hub, which will begin COVID-19 testing on Dec. 20, and will begin testing on a regular basis Jan. 3. Read more here: Camden County Health Hub Begins COVID-19 Testing Dec. 20

Officials continue to monitor the delta variant, which accounted for more than 98 percent of coronavirus cases in New Jersey over the last four-weeks, according to data provided by the state department of health.

Camden County has "high" COVID activity, according to New Jersey's latest weekly report. The determination is based on metrics such as case rate, positivity rate and prevalence of COVID-like illnesses.

May was appointed as Vice President and Chief of Quality and Safety Officer at Jefferson Health in November. In this role, May leads the New Jersey division of Jefferson Health, which is made up of three acute care hospitals and numerous outpatient facilities.

A graduate of the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, May completed his residency in general surgery at Temple in 2001, and also holds an MBA from the Fox School of Business at Temple University. He served as a preceptor for the Thomas Jefferson University Physician Assistant Program from 2017 to2019.

Board certified in surgery, he is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, and a member of the American Association of Physician Leaders, the Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons, and the American Society of Breast Surgeons.