The list of New Jersey school districts asking the state to let them start the school year with all-virtual classes is growing as local officials reconsider their plans in the wake of Gov. Phil Murphy’s announcement that the state is revising its reopening guidelines. Murphy said Wednesday the state’s nearly 600 districts can ask to delay the start of in-person classes if they can prove to the state Department of Education that they can’t meet the social distancing and safety guidelines released by the state in June. Students in all districts continue to have the option of choosing all-remote learning at home, even if their school is holding in-person classes, under the state’s guidelines. Merchantville School's Re-opening plan was approved by the Board of Education on July 28th and the completed plan is here. 

All 50 states have moved to reopen their economies, at least partially, after shutting down businesses and gatherings in response to the coronavirus pandemic but, only 3 states meet these basic criteria to reopen and stay safe. They need to ensure the SARS-CoV-2 virus is no longer spreading unabated, the testing capacity to track and isolate the sick and their contacts and, the hospital capacity to handle a potential surge in Covid-19 cases. A Vox analysis suggests that most states haven’t made the preparations needed to contain outbreaks putting themselves at risk for a rise in Covid-19 cases and deaths should they continue to reopen. As of July 22nd, just three states, Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York, met four or five of the goals, which demonstrates strong progress. Twenty-two states and Washington, DC, hit two or three of the benchmarks. The other 25 achieved zero or one.

Until yesterday, there had been no increase in Merchantville’s Covid-19 report for 7 days. However, three additional cases of the virus were identified on Wednesday and Thursday - two males in their 30's and a female in her 20’s. During the same time period the Camden County Department of Health announced 152 additional confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and 13 deaths between July 11th and July 13th. This brings the aggregate number of confirmed positive cases to 8,311 in Camden County today and 514 total fatalities. Covid-19 symptom checker. Be Smart - Mask Up - Stay Safe.

As of 7/28/20, travelers from 36 states and two territories who are arriving in New Jersey are asked to self-quarantine and/or get a COVID-19 test. The list includes frequently visited states like Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia. People arriving in New Jersey from a state with a COVID-19 positive test rate higher than 10 infected people per 100,000 residents, or a state with a 10-percent-or-higher positivity rate over a seven-day rolling average, are asked to self-quarantine for 14 days or get a COVID-19 test when they arrive, and self-quarantine until they get the results. The travel advisory does not apply to people briefly passing through states on the list (stopping at highway rest stops; layovers for air, bus, or train travel). Complete information available here.

As consumers are crowding back into stores, restaurants and other places of business as states ease pandemic-related restrictions, a full return to normal isn’t likely to happen until November 2021, according to Ezekiel (Zeke) Emanuel, vice provost for global initiatives and chair of the Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy at the University of Pennsylvania and Wharton professor of health care management. Emanuel said strict adherence to non-pharmacological interventions work better than haphazard compliance with them, and it has been challenging to get everyone to comply. In fact, states like Arizona, Florida and Texas have seen infections skyrocket since they relaxed lockdown measures. “I think it’s almost inevitable we’re going to have a second wave that pops up in October or November [of this year], when we’re all going inside. That worries me a lot,” he said. “Adhering to strict measures doesn’t seem possible in the U.S.” He also pointed to research that shows the immune system reaction to the virus is short-lived, with antibodies lasting only two to three months versus three to 12 months for other viruses, indicating that it might be difficult to develop a long-lasting vaccine.

The global pandemic caused by COVID-19 has had a significant financial impact on municipalities throughout Camden County. Local governments across the board have been under pressure to purchase vital personal protective equipment (PPE), hand sanitizer, and a variety of other tools for essential employees since the start of this public health crisis. To alleviate some of these costs, the Freeholder Board received, and is allocating, federal funding for towns which will be used to supplement unforeseen costs that have been attributed directly to their operational budget. Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli Jr. described the federal funds as critical to governmental operations. Merchantville Mayor, Ted Brennan, said the funding was coming at the right time for municipalities. “This is a direct stimulus to the residents of Merchantville, providing our municipality with the ability to maintain services without increasing the cost borne by our taxpayers,” Brennan said. “The county’s support has been essential to our ability to navigate the public health aspect of this pandemic, and this assistance will be equally crucial as we respond to the fiscal repercussions that accompany it. Protecting our municipality and our residents will require a whole of government approach, and we are incredibly grateful that the Freeholder Board has chosen to offer their reinforcement and collaboration.”