Ocean City Mayor On Coronavirus: 'Continue To Take Precautions'

Josh Bakan
·2 min read

OCEAN CITY, NJ — Despite a small bump in coronavirus inpatients, doctors told Ocean City Mayor Jay Gillian they are not "overly concerned." But Gillian said everyone should continue to take precautions.

Doctors are learning more about the virus and how to treat it, so they're not too concerned about the slight increase, he said.

"Please continue to take personal responsibility for wearing masks, avoiding crowds and large indoor gatherings, and washing hands," Gillian said in his weekly address. "And please stay at home if you feel sick or show symptoms of any illness. Together, we can help to minimize the spread of the virus and keep everybody safe and healthy."

Shore Medical Center brought back a visitor ban Wednesday because of an increase in cases in its hospital community and South Jersey. After the Tuesday announcement, a spokesperson for the hospital told Patch they had eight coronavirus inpatients at the time. Read more: Shore Medical Center Reinstitutes Visitor Ban Due To Coronavirus

Similarly, AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center announced visitor restrictions for its emergency departments in Galloway, Atlantic City and Hammonton. The hospital network reported an increase in patients presenting flu-like symptoms and an uptick in community spread. Read more: AtlantiCare Restricts Visitors Due To Local Coronavirus Uptick

"We remind all members of our community to call your healthcare provider first before visiting a doctor's office, urgent care, or emergency department for symptoms of cold, flu, COVID-19 and other infectious illnesses," AtlantiCare spokesperson Jennifer Tornetta told Patch in a statement. "If you are having difficulty breathing or are having a life-threatening emergency, dial 911."

The Cape May County Health Department reported nine active cases, 107 people cleared off quarantine and three deaths in Ocean City as of Sunday morning. Cape May County has reported 81 active cases, 1,294 people cleared off quarantine and 93 deaths, officials said.

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This article originally appeared on the Ocean City Patch