Cherry Hill, New Jersey resident tests presumptive positive for coronavirus
BLACKWOOD, New Jersey (WPVI) -- The Camden County resident who tested presumptive positive for the coronavirus lives in Cherry Hill, Action News has learned.
On Friday, officials said the person is a male in his 60s who is currently hospitalized in stable condition at Jefferson Cherry Hill Hospital.
Officials confirm the resident did not use public transportation and had limited contact with the community.
"Due to federal privacy laws, we cannot comment on the patient specifically, beyond saying this adult patient is hospitalized in isolation and is in stable condition," said a hospital spokesperson Friday.
County officials said authorities were working to trace the close contacts of the individual and take public health action as appropriate.
"While we know that any case of coronavirus presents a cause for concern for our residents, we want to emphasize that this case only reemphasizes the need to follow personal hygiene guidelines vigilantly, this should not be a cause for panic and the risk to the general public remains low," said Health Officer Paschal Nwako.
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"Our department has been planning and preparing for several weeks for the possibility of a case of coronavirus in Camden County, and residents can rest assured that we are prepared to act swiftly and protect the health of our community," Nwako continued.
"The risk to the general population of Camden County remains low and we're working very closely with the State Department of Health," said Anne Walters, the director of the Camden County Health Department.
The presumptive positive result came from a sample tested by the New Jersey Department of Health at the New Jersey Public Health Environmental Laboratories (PHEL) and is now being submitted to the CDC for confirmatory testing.
"The situation is still fluid, we are doing as much as we can to get more information and when we get it, the public will know more about this patient," said Nwako.
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Officials urge residents to practice good hygiene and to call the New Jersey Department of Health hotline at 1-800-222-1222 or 1-800-962-1253 if they have any questions.
To date, there are four presumptive positive cases of the coronavirus in the State of New Jersey.
