Burlington County Director of Health Dr. Herb Conaway released the following statement on July 31 based on reports labeling Burlington County an emerging “hot spot” for COVID-19 infections:
“From the very start of the pandemic we have kept close watch on the daily testing numbers and data, and we are actively seeking to trace the contacts of all new cases. The coronavirus remains still active and we have started to see an uptick in daily new cases, particularly among teenagers and young adults.
“During the last two weeks the daily average of new COVID-19 cases in the county has increased from around 15 new cases a day to about 35 new cases each day this week. While this uptick is certainly cause for concern, we also believe that common-sense measures and adherence to the state’s social-distancing rules and guidance can contain the spread. This is becoming even more important with schools starting in just a few weeks. Just because you don’t experience symptoms, does not mean you are not necessarily a carrier for the disease. For this reason, social distancing, at all ages, continues to be paramount, in stopping the spread of COVID-19.
“It is time for vigilance and I urge everyone to wear masks in public, properly social-distance and to get tested if you have symptoms or have visited another state on New Jersey’s quarantine list. If everyone does their part, we can stop this recent uptick from growing into a much more serious outbreak.”
Video of Conaway discussing the uptick will be available on the county’s Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/BurlingtonCountyNJ/
Sign up for Burlington County health updates from the department’s app at https://apps.myocv.com/share/a44608060