Cape May Court House- New Jersey has 168,107 total COVID-19 positive cases and 12,800 deaths. Total positive cases of COVID-19 infection in Cape May County is now 694 including 61 deaths. Sadly, we are announcing the passing of a 79-year-old male from Middle Township.

“My thoughts are with the family and friends during this sad time,” said Cape May County Freeholder Jeff Pierson.

As of June 15, "essential" retail stores such as supermarkets, pharmacies, and convenience stores and "non-essential retail stores" such as clothing retailers, shoe stores, and electronics shops are allowed to open, but must follow social distancing and other mitigation protocols.

Customers

• If you are quarantined or in home isolation, do not leave your home. If you must leave home to access essential goods, please go at non-peak times. Retail food stores have been encouraged to maintain separate operating hours for senior citizens and other high-risk populations.
• You should wear a face covering whenever you leave your home and MUST wear one when shopping at essential retail businesses, entering a restaurant or bar to pick up takeout orders, or when traveling on public transportation. Keep your visit as brief as possible, and go alone if possible.
• When shopping and standing in line, please keep six feet between yourself and other customers/staff.
• Please do not enter a retail facility if you have symptoms consistent with COVID-19 (such as fever or a cough), have been diagnosed with COVID-19, or are undergoing a quarantine for potential exposure to COVID-19.

Employees

• If you have symptoms consistent with COVID-19 (such as fever or a cough), have been diagnosed with COVID-19, or are undergoing a quarantine for potential exposure to COVID-19, do not report to work.
• Must use a face covering. Your employer is required to provide materials for this purpose.
• Under Executive Order 107, if your job can be performed from home, you should be performing it at home. Your employer should permit you to do so. If you believe your employer is violating Executive Order 107, please visit https://covid19.nj.gov/violation.
• Keep six feet of distance from customers and co-workers in the store.
• Please wash your hands with soap and water or alcohol based sanitizer frequently, and particularly after contact with shared public surfaces.

Requirements for Retail Businesses

• Immediately separate and send home workers who appear to have COVID-19 symptoms;
• Promptly notify workers of any known exposure to COVID-19, subject to confidentiality requirements in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA);
• Clean and disinfect the worksite in accordance with CDC guidelines when a worker has been diagnosed with COVID-19;
• Continue to follow all guidelines and directives issued by the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH), the CDC, and the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) for maintaining a clean, safe and healthy work environment.
• Businesses must provide face coverings and gloves to all employees, and employees are required to wear face coverings and gloves while on the premises.
• Limit occupancy to 50% of maximum store capacity at one time;
• Establish hours of operation specifically for the exclusive use of high-risk individuals;
• Install a physical barrier, such as a shield guard, between customers and cashiers/baggers where possible and anywhere you cannot maintain 6 feet of distance;
• Require regular hand washing, coughing and sneezing etiquette, and proper tissue usage and disposal;
• Provide employees break time for regular hand washing;
• Arrange for contactless pay options, pickup, or delivery of goods wherever possible;
• Provide hand sanitizer and wipes to staff and customers;
• Frequently sanitize high-touch areas like restrooms, credit card machines, keypads, counters and shopping carts;
• Require infection control practices such as regular hand washing, coughing and sneezing etiquette, and proper tissue usage;
• Place conspicuous signage at entrances and throughout the store alerting staff and customers to the required 6 feet of distance;
• Demarcate 6 feet of spacing in check-out lines to demonstrate appropriate social distancing;
• Require workers and customers to wear cloth face coverings, and require workers to wear gloves. A business must provide, at its own expense, these face coverings and gloves for employees. Customers may be exempted if it would inhibit their health, or if under two years of age. If a customer refuses, they must be denied entry, unless the business is providing medication, medical supplies, or food, in which case another method of pickup should be provided.

Call your healthcare professional if you have concerns about COVID-19 and your underlying health conditions. Stay up to date on the current situation as it evolves. Some reliable sources are New Jersey Poison Information and Education System hotline at 211 or 1-800-962-1253, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at www.cdc.gov, the World Health Organization at www.who.int, the New Jersey Department of Health at COVID19.nj.gov. For additional information visit https://capemaycountynj.gov/ or Cape May County Department of Health at www.cmchealth.net, also like us on Facebook.