As of today, Camden County will have delivered more than 25,000 meals to seniors in need during the Covid-19 pandemic. Freeholder Jonathan Young thanked the dedicated public servants at the Division of Senior Services, Public Works, Parks, Building and Ops, and other county employees who are making these deliveries and coordinating the logistics of such a herculean effort." He continued, “Like critical workers across the county, many of these men and women continue to leave their home each day in the service of others. It is thanks to them and their efforts that the people of Camden County have a safety net they can rely on, and we are incredibly thankful for their hard work and commitment to service." If you or a senior you know needs meal assistance, please call (856) 374-MEAL or (856) 858-3220 to make arrangements.

Two new technologies being deployed in New Jersey as part of the fight against the coronavirus could boost those testing numbers enormously if they can perform. One comes out of a Rutgers University research center that uses a laboratory technique to make millions of copies of the COVID-19 nucleic acid. It can perform 10,000 tests a day using high-throughput, automated equipment. But instead of using nasal and throat swabs to obtain viral material, the analysis can be performed on saliva samples obtained by spitting into a tube — a far easier way to collect samples without relying on health care workers. Saliva testing would be a new development and would allow testing without the need of a medical provider to take the sample. RUCDR has also submitted an emergency use authorization request for a saliva collection method that will allow for broader population screening. Another is a test developed by Abbott Laboratories that its makers say can detect the COVID-19 virus in as little as five minutes.

Growing celery from the base of the stalks is a fun project that couldn't be easier—plus, it's great to do with kids. The celery sprouts surprisingly fast and, except for the cutting part, even very young children can do the whole project. If you are looking for activities to teach science and math skills, have the kids measure how fast the celery grows. There are two ways to do the project: using just water or in a container with potting soil. If you are just sprouting in water, this project can be a good one for winter when it's particularly fun to see something green and growing indoors.

Potatoes prefer cool weather and can be planted very early in the gardening season—as you soon as the frost is out of the soil and you are able to work the soil. In Northern regions, some gardeners will plant the first crop of early-maturing potatoes in early to mid-April, 6 to 8 weeks before the average last frost date or as soon as the soil can be worked. They can survive some cool weather but the threat of frost is a gamble. If there is a threat of frost at night, temporarily cover any sprouted foliage with mulch or an artificial covering such as old sheets or plastic containers - and be sure to remember to remove the coverings in the morning. Choose a location that gets full sun—at least 6 hours each day - and grow potatoes in trenched rows spaced about 3 feet apart.

Mayor Brennan recorded a video message for the community from home last evening. He thanked residents and small businesses for their personal efforts to reduce the spread of coronavirus by "flattening the curve" through through social distancing and staying at home. He's been very encouraged to see the level of small business support. Mayor Brennan also announce a new initiative in town to pool resources to provide help to those in need. This initiative, intended to address the personal welfare of residents during and after this pandemic, involves a cooperative effort between the municipality, the school and Merchantville's faith-based leaders. If you have needs or know of anyone with needs that are not being met please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Emails will be monitored by the Borough and acted on by this cooperative.

In this challenging time when Americans are under "shelter-in-place" IBM is offering free tools through weather.com, and an online dashboard, designed to help provide the latest details currently available from various official sources to people and businesses so they can access it easily on their computers or smartphones. Visit weather.com/coronavirus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) maintains an iOS app and is one of the foremost sources of accurate information during disease outbreaks for anyone living in the U.S. You can also sign up for email updates from the CDC at this link. Your health insurance apps, such as United Healthcare or Aetna, help you to manage benefits and coverage. Another key resource is the media, but only trusted and professional outlets like The New York Times, The Washington Post or The Wall Street Journal. Local and state updates can be found on the Camden County website and at the NJDOH information hub. Stay informed - stay safe!

As we enter April the common refrain heard from some officials and others who sought to downplay the severity of coronavirus in February and early March - that it wasn't worth worrying about, because more people were likely to get sick or die from the flu than COVID-19 - may not stand up any longer. Lisa Maragakis, M.D., M.P.H., senior director of infection prevention at Johns Hopkins, explains how the flu and COVID-19 are similar and how they are different. While both the flu and COVID-19 may be transmitted in similar ways, there is also a possible difference, COVID-19 might be spread through the airborne route, meaning that tiny droplets remaining in the air could cause disease in others even after the ill person is no longer near. The COVID-19 situation is changing rapidly. Since this disease is caused by a new virus, people do not have immunity to it, and a vaccine may be many months away. Doctors and scientists are working on estimating the mortality rate of COVID-19, but at present, it is thought to be higher than that of most strains of the flu.

How about decorating some Easter shaped cookies to support a small business - a fun and yummy activity to do with your family! The Station Coffee has prepared a decorating kit for pick-up this week. Included in each kit are four (4) sugar cookies, icing and candy for decorating. Kits are $15 each and available by pre-order only. Please call or message us your order until Thursday, April 9th at (856) 488-0973 for pick up Friday or Saturday, April 10th and 11th. The Station is also open for all your take-out needs for coffee, of course, and a full menu! Call ahead 856-488-0973 for fastest service or just stop by our window. Great GO-TO-WINDOW hours - now open Sundays!

Need/want beer? Beth and Chris have it at Eclipse Brewing! To "flatten the curve" their Covid-19 brewery hours for growler fills only are Wednesdays from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., Fridays from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m and Sundays from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. We will be at the door to hand off beer and take orders. Feel free to call starting us at 2:00 p.m. at (856) 662- 7453 to place an order, but it's not necessary. Fans of this craft brewery - offering 18 beers on tap - have been keeping them busy which is a very good thing. They are looking forward to when the tasting room is full again and thank everyone for supporting them and Merchantville's small businesses during this time. Follow updates from Eclipse on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

On April 5th, just one month after recording its first infection, New Jersey now has at least 34,124 known cases of the coronavirus, including 846 deaths, as state officials announced 4,331 new cases and 200 new fatalities from a global outbreak that’s expected to keep worsening in the coming days. The state is testing only symptomatic people and reporting an average of only 5,000 tests a day, which officials attribute to a lack of manpower and supplies from the federal government. Governor Murphy has ordered residents to stay at home, called on people to keep practicing social distancing and washing their hands. “This pandemic is writing one of the greatest tragedies in the state’s history," Murphy said. Camden County currently has 481 cases, with 8 deaths.