The COVID-19 presumptive positive cases are the first in Burlington County. Elsewhere, New Jersey officials announced the first coronavirus-related death.

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Burlington County’s first cases of presumptive positive COVID-19 cases are a married 62-year-old man and 60-year-old woman from Riverton, state officials said Tuesday.

The couple recently returned from Italy and traveled in a party with at least one additional presumptive case, according to county health department director Herb Conaway.

The couple has been in isolation since March 4 and both are in good condition, Conaway said Tuesday.

The county would not release the hometown or name of the hospital where the couple was originally treated, citing the need to protect patient privacy. State officials identified the couple as being from Riverton.

"There’s a concern that the persons in question could be identified," Conaway said. "It’s one thing to say (a coronavirus patient) is a resident of New York City. It’s another to say they are residents of a smallish town."

The county is still working to determine who the couple came into contact with and potentially exposed to COVID-19.

Conaway noted that the couple contacted medical personnel before visiting the emergency room, a step which limited the exposure of hospital staff and other patients to potential coronavirus exposure.

State officials reported the Burlington County cases and two new cases in Bergen County at a news conference Tuesday afternoon.

Dr. Christina Tan, Department of Health Assistant Commissioner, said that the cases were identified early, which allows better opportunities for containment.

"Hopefully that will help — the early containment will help prevent community spread," Tan said. "But again we have to still continue with mitigation."

Officials also reported the state’s first coronavirus related fatality, a 69-year old Bergen County man. The man had not traveled outside the U.S. but had a history of traveling between New Jersey and New York, according to officials.

The man had pre-existing conditions, including a history of diabetes and emphysema, according to New Jersey Department of Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli. The man presented symptoms a week ago, was admitted to the hospital March 6 and died Tuesday morning following two cardiac arrests, according to Persichilli.

New Jersey now has a total of 15 presumptive positive cases.

An additional 31 COVID-19 cases under investigation and remain to be tested, Persichilli said. New Jersey became the ninth state to declare an emergency to deal with coronavirus.

Each of the governor’s now daily COVID-19 press briefings have brought news of more presumptive positive case, including, on Friday, when South Jersey’s first case, a 61-year-old man from Cherry Hill, was announced.

In an update Tuesday, Camden County officials said the Cherry Hill man is recovering.

"I’m happy to report that the patient is doing very well, and his condition has been upgraded," Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli, Jr. said in a news release.

Cappelli denied rumors the man had widespread contact with the community. Rather, according to Cappelli, only seven people were exposed to the virus following contact with the Cherry Hill man.

They have been self-quarantined and are asymptomatic, he said.

"In fact, all seven will complete their quarantine by (Wednesday) and, just to reiterate, this patient did not take mass transit and did not attend any social gatherings while he was symptomatic," Cappelli said.

"I want to be clear, we are monitoring all of our local exposures and possible cases throughout the county and the risk to the public based on this presumptive positive is very low," the freeholder director added.

In Burlington County, all school districts remained open as of Tuesday afternoon.

Conaway said he met with district superintendents earlier in the day and was not aware of any long-term closures but noted districts have closure plans prepared.

In recent days Burlington County has begun to see announcements of event cancellations.

Congressman Andy Kim on Friday canceled a campaign kickoff rally scheduled for Saturday in Evesham. Kim did not reschedule the event, but noted he would launch his campaign "when the time is right."

Kim also canceled a Seaside Park town hall planned for Friday and will instead instead hold a telephone town hall to provide updates and answer questions on the coronavirus outbreak.

"I’ve chosen to follow guidance by our health care professionals and move our town hall to a format that doesn’t put people at risk," Kim said in a news release. Health officials will join Kim on the call, he said.

Sen. Troy Singleton announced that a Mount Laurel business workshop planned for April 3 has been postponed. The event was to be part of Facebook’s nationwide "Boost" workshops but Facebook has postponed or canceled all Boost events scheduled for the next few months.

Singleton said he would announce a new date as soon as possible.

Many other Burlington County canceled events involving seniors, who, along with people with pre-existing conditions, have been the most severely impacted by COVID-19 also were postponed or canceled.

At the Cranberry Hall Senior Center in Medford all activities, except exercise programs, have been suspended for at least two weeks.

"We apologize in advance for any inconveniences caused by this action, but due to the great concern about the coronavirus and its effects on the senior citizen population, the coordinators have taken this proactive action," Cranberry Hall said on Facebook.

Medford Leas, a retirement and care facility in Medford, announced that out of "an abundance of caution" it had canceled the screening of a documentary, which features Medford Leas residents, scheduled for Wednesday night.

"We have taken this proactive step to be considerate of the health and safety of our residents and staff, as well as our community guests," Medford Leas said on Facebook.

On Tuesday, Conaway said the risk of the coronavirus to the general population remains low, but urged people over 60 years of age and people with existing health conditions to take extra precautions.

"Think twice about what you’re doing," Conaway said about attending large gatherings or other places where the risk of exposure to the coronavirus is higher. "Exercise the appropriate amount of caution if you are someone at risk."

The population in general should continue to wash their hands, make appropriate preparations and stay up-to-date on new information about COVID-19, Conaway said.

Like the common cold and the flu, the coronavirus spreads between people who are in close contact with one another and through respiratory droplets, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

There’s no evidence that the virus can be transmitted through food, according to the CDC. It is, however, possible that a person can get the virus by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own face.

The most common symptoms resemble the flu and include fever, tiredness and dry cough. Some people also develop aches and pains, nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat or diarrhea.

Symptoms can range from mild to severe, and some people don’t have any symptoms at all.

About 1 in 6 people become seriously ill and develop difficulty breathing, according to the World Health Organization. If you experience fever, cough and shortness of breath, call your doctor.

While younger people may experience the illness as a bad cold with a fever, the concern is that older people and those who have additional medical conditions will develop a more severe form of COVID-19.

There is currently neither a vaccine nor an approved treatment for the new, or novel coronavirus.

The U.S. Department of State on Sunday advised U.S. citizens against traveling by cruise ship as cases of the coronavirus continue to be diagnosed throughout the world.

An estimated 118,101 people have contracted the coronavirus worldwide and 4,262 have died, according to Johns Hopkins University. The United States has seen 808 cases and 28 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins.

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.@LtGovOliver and I are sad to report the first death in a case of #COVID19 in New Jersey. Our prayers are with the family during this difficult time. We remain vigilant to doing all we can — across all levels of government — to protect the people of New Jersey. pic.twitter.com/NPGH8anMFp

— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) March 10, 2020