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.

On July 8th, Gov. Phil Murphy signed a new executive order mandating people wear a face covering outdoors in public when social distancing is difficult. New Jersey has required people since early April to wear a mask at indoor public places, such as stores, eateries, and government buildings. This order broadens current orders to include outdoor places. The order mandates that you wear a mask if you’re in an outdoor setting with large gatherings and can't keep your distance from people other than your family or household members and caregivers. Children under age 2 and those whose health or safety would be hurt by wearing them are not required to wear masks. Violators can receive summonses for disorderly persons offenses carrying jail terms of up to 6 months and/or fines of $1,000.

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.”

On Monday, June 30th, Park Place Café & Restaurant owner, Phil Manganaro, posted a message on it's Facebook page personally thanking everyone for their support over their 3 years in town, especially the support of old and new friends at the Drive Thru. It really helped carry Park Place through a tough time and was truly appreciated. "I chose to close the Drive Thru and bring a dining situation so unique and exclusive on its heels, but with dine-in being cancelled (by Governor Murphy) again today, I regret to inform you that Park Place will be closed until further notice and could be closed for good given the uncertainty of these times and trying to run a small BYOB." Park Place will still be posting pictures of foraging and our AT HOME dinners for those who love what we do. If you would like to schedule an "AT HOME" dinner please contact us at 856-662-2200 to do so. Thank you for helping me build Park Place into what it was and encouraging me to keep digging deeper. 

The Merchantville Education Association would like to invite students, parents and the community to Merchantville School’s end of year drive-by parade. This parade is to honor and celebrate three of our fabulous teachers - Mrs. Fields, Mrs. Batterman and Mrs. Gandy - who are retiring this year and to give them the proper sendoff they deserve! The parade is also an opportunity for students and staff to wave good-bye before summer vacation begins. The parade will take place on Friday, June 12th from 2-3pm. Once in the lot, cars will be directed through the staff parking lot and then turn right to drive down Centre Street. Retiring teachers will be set up in the staff parking lot if anyone would like to drop off or send well wishes. Teachers and staff will be standing on the sidewalk along Centre Street. To continue with social distancing, please remain in your cars during the parade and wave to your teachers from a safe distance. We hope to see you there!