South Jersey counties report 14 more deaths tied to COVID-19

Jim Walsh
Cherry Hill Courier-Post

CAMDEN - Fourteen more South Jersey residents have died from COVID-19, five counties reported Tuesday.

The death toll rose steadily throughout the day with grim updates from across the region.

Atlantic County reported three deaths early Tuesday afternoon, followed by news of two fatalities in Gloucester County.

Camden County then announced five more casualties, followed by an additional death in Cape May County.

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Burlington County reported three more fatalities, bringing the region's total for the pandemic to 55 deaths.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the families who continue to endure loss during this crisis," said Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli Jr. in Camden County.

Also Tuesday, Gov. Phil Murphy ordered the closing of all state and county parks in order to further curb the spread of the coronavirus.

 “We have seen far too many instances in our parks where people are gathering and socializing in groups," Murphy said. He said the park closings will help to limit "public interactions to only the most essential purposes."

The deaths in Camden County included two men from Cherry Hill, one in his 90s and the other in his 70s, as well as a man in his 80s from Gloucester City and a man in his 50s from Camden.

A Gloucester Township woman in her 60s also lost her fight against what Cappelli called "this terrible virus."

Burlington County's health department identified the victims there as two Willingboro residents — a man, 58, and a woman, 59 — and an 83-year-old man from Mansfield.

Gloucester County identified its losses only as a 56-year-old man and a 68-year-old woman.

The Atlantic County victims were an Atlantic City man in his 80s and two Egg Harbor Township men in their 60s, the county's health department said.

The Cape May County fatality was an 86-year-old resident of Victoria Manor in Lower Township, a long-term care facility that's reported positive test results for 15 residents and 11 staffers.

Also Tuesday, Gov. Phil Murphy reported the state's largest one-day toll of 232 deaths for a total of 1,232.

He pointed out almost 1,000 deaths had occurred in the past week.

Healthcare professionals work a COVID-19 testing site Wednesday, April 1, 2020 in Camden, N.J.

"It's almost unfathomable," said Murphy, who noted the deaths reported Tuesday had not occurred in a single 24-hour period.

South Jersey's death toll is led by 23 deaths in Camden County,  followed by 16 in Burlington County.

Officials have reported five deaths in Gloucester County, four in Atlantic County, three in Salem County and two each in Cumberland and Cape May counties.

Murphy also reported 3,361 new cases across the state. That lifted New Jersey's total to 44,416.

In South Jersey, officials announced 97 new cases in Camden County and 93 in Burlington County. Each county reported the same total of 780 cases.

Gloucester County reported 37 new cases for a total of 321 and Atlantic County noted 16 additional cases for a total of 156.

This story will be updated.

Jim Walsh is a free-range reporter who’s been roaming around South Jersey for decades. His interests include crime, the courts, economic development and being first with breaking news. Reach him at jwalsh@gannettnj.com.

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