Between April 26th and May 4th there have been nine (9) new cases in Merchantville bringing the Borough total to 25 residents. Most recent Covid-19 cases include resident males in their 50's, 60's and 70's and females in their 60s. The Camden County Department of Health has announced 3,542 cases in Camden County today and 186 total fatalities. Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli, Jr. stated, “We have reached a difficult stage in this pandemic, one where the mixture of positive and negative developments can make it difficult to tell just how much progress we are making. Rest assured, we are better off today than we were two months ago when this pandemic began. Testing is more accessible than it has been at any other point, our hospitals are not overwhelmed with patients, and we have been able to reopen our parks that sat closed for nearly a month. Our means for fighting this virus have not changed, and the importance of exercising them has only been heightened. Stay home unless you must go out, do not attend or organize social gatherings of any kind, and wear a mask or face cover when you cannot maintain proper social distancing. Together, we will get through this and we will be stronger for having done so.”

Gov. Phil Murphy announced on Monday, May 4th, that all public and private schools in the state will remain closed for the rest of the academic year. His statement read, “This is a difficult decision and I know that many students, parents, and staff would like to be able to return to school." Murphy first ordered all schools in the state closed on March 18th and said repeatedly that remote education would continue until at least May 15th. With Monday‘s announcement, all schools will continue online learning through the end of the 2019-2020 academic year. Private schools with longer academic years will remain closed until at least June 30th and a decision on school-sponsored summer programs and Extended School Year services for students with disabilities will be forthcoming. A steering committee will be formed to explore approaches for reopening schools for the 2020-2021 academic year, according to the statement.

Gov. Phil Murphy allowed golf courses and parks to reopen Saturday, with some minor adjustments for safety, and golfers flocked back to the tees and greens in droves. Clubs throughout the region were packed to their newly reduced capacities, honoring pandemic safeguards while accommodating players. At the 127-year-old Merchantville Country Club reservations had sold out in about an hour, according to Bill Goodrich, president of the board. The fact that the club used scheduled tee times at all was an adjustment. At only nine holes, the course is played quickly, and members usually rely on WhatsApp to coordinate when to arrive and whom to play with, he said. “We’ve been given this great opportunity, allowing us to reopen,” Goodrich said. “Whatever guidelines we need to follow, we’ll follow. Our goal is to get back to full operation, but in a safe way.”

Join Incredible Edible Merchantville's Sustainable Landscapes Registry. We know you're proud of your home garden - and so are we! Vegetable, flower, herb, habitat - every type of garden counts towards land stewardship, food justice and sustainability efforts. Incredible Edible Merchantville is working to continue to expand this program this year and attain Sustainable Jersey Bronze certification. This 2020 small action project - designed to create an inventory of Borough gardens and habitats - will support our efforts. To be included please email your information to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Send us some pictures, a description and location information to . We look forward to learning about your garden!

On April 28th Comcast announced it will extend its commitments for Xfinity customers through June 30, originally announced on March 13th, to help ensure students can finish out the school year from home and remain connected to the internet during the COVID-19 crisis. These commitments include: No Disconnects and Waiving Late Fees; Xfinity WiFi Free for Everyone; Pausing Data Plans; and, Internet Essentials: For more information and updates from Comcast related to Coronavirus, visit: http://www.comcastcorporation.com/COVID-19/

Many Camden County residents who receive food assistance through the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (NJ SNAP) will receive additional benefits in May to help address critical food needs related to the COVID-19 pandemic. An additional $36 million will be provided to about 214,000 New Jersey households in May. SNAP supplemental payments were included in the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act. In March and April, Human Services announced $70 million in total additional NJ SNAP benefits that were provided to New Jerseyans to help purchase groceries. If you need food assistance, visit njhelp.org to apply for SNAP online.

On Friday, May 1st, the Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers will be on Facebook Live to give updates about COVID-19 testing in Camden, community resources, and other important information. Join us at 12:00 p.m. for English and at 12:30 PM for Spanish. The Camden Coalition works to advance the field of complex care by implementing person-centered programs and piloting new models that address chronic illness and social barriers to health and wellbeing. Founded by Jeffrey Brenner, MD, their mission is to spark a field and movement that unites communities of caregivers in Camden and across the nation to improve the wellbeing of individuals with complex health and social needs. El viernes, 1 de mayo, vamos a estar en Facebook Live para dar informes sobre pruebas de COVID-19 en Camden, recursos comunitarios, y otra informacion importante. Unete a las 12:00 p.m. para ingles y a las 12:30 p.m. para espanol.

John Grasso had three jobs before the effects of Coronavirus were felt in South Jersey. The furloughed "Quiz King" typically hosts game nights at the 45th Street Pub in Pennsauken but has no audience during this era of social distancing. However, dedicated quizzo contestants were pining for more family fun so, he decided to take his game show to the internet. The Merchantville native says he always dreamt of becoming a radio personality, and jokes that someone might "discover" him through his new internet show. On Wednesday and Sunday nights, The Quiz King can be found streaming on his Youtube Channel to a live audience of friends and family who equally miss the live entertainment atmosphere. Each night tackles a theme, such as "Disney Movies" or "Assassinations." To tune in and join the community, visit his Youtube Channel.

Two new testing centers for COVID-19 will open in Camden to increase testing capability and bring it closer to home for many Camden residents. New Testing Site Locations: 2600 Mount Ephraim Avenue in the Camden Division of Motor Vehicle Parking Lot from 12:00 to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. This will be manned by healthcare staff from Virtual Hospital. Opening Day: Wednesday, April 29th.  Second site: 3101 Federal Street at Dudley Grange Park from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.*Monday through Friday. Opening Day: Tuesday, May 5th. Cooper Health System employees will manage the site. “We feel confident that these two new testing locations will help us to better meet people where they are,” said Virtua Health President and CEO Dennis W. Pullin. Each site will test any Camden County resident by appointment who has a referral for testing from a medical provider at Virtua, Cooper, CamCare, or other provider.  To make an appointment, call 856-968-7100, Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The new sites will replace the current testing location at Cooper’s Poynt Park, which will close on May 1st at 3:00 p.m.