Two Hamilton residents have tested positive for Covid-19, Hamilton Township reported this afternoon.
The township says it was informed through the state’s confidential Communicable Disease Reporting and Surveillance System at 9 a.m. that the two residents, a 48-year-old male and a 28-year-old female, tested positive. The township says both are self-isolating at home. They are not in the hospital.
Additionally, there are a number of people from Hamilton who have been tested for the virus, and the results are pending.
It is not known why the township waited until 5:30 p.m. to distribute the information widely. Mayor Jeff Martin appeared on local AM radio station WBCB today at 11 a.m., and revealed the positive tests there at that time, but due to “technical difficulties” the announcement did not air on the radio until later on March 18. The interview was posted on WBCB’s Facebook page at 10:59 a.m., according to the post’s timestamp.
The township says its health department immediately has been in touch with the individuals to learn where they had been before self-isolating to determine who may have come in contact with them. From there, the health department will begin outreach to close contacts and inform them so that they can follow proper procedures.
For general questions about Covid-19, contact the New Jersey Department of Health’s call center at (800) 962-1253. The call center is open 24/7 and has multilanguage capacity.
