CHERRY HILL - A township man hospitalized with the coronavirus is in improving condition, a Camden County official said Tuesday.

But the positive news came on the same day state officials reported two Burlington County residents, a Riverton couple, had tested presumptive positive for the virus. That brought South Jersey's tally to three known cases out of 15 statewide.

Officials on Wednesday also reported the state's first death for a coronavirus patient, a 69-year-old Bergen County man.

The Burlington County patients are a husband and wife with a history of travel to Italy, that county's health department said Tuesday. The man, who is 62, and the woman, 60, are isolated at home, it said.

"The male first became ill on March 4, 2020 and was seen by a healthcare provider that same day," the county said in a statement. It said a state laboratory reported presumptive positive results for the couple on Tuesday.

The health department said it "is working closely with these individuals to identify any potential close contacts and provide guidance for evaluation and testing as appropriate."

The Cherry Hill patient, identified only as a 61-year-old man, "is doing very well and his condition has been upgraded," Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli Jr. said Wednesday.

The patient previously had been reported in stable condition in Jefferson Cherry Hill Hospital.

Seven people known to have social contact with the man "have been self-quarantined at this time and have been asymptomatic," the freeholder said.

He noted the patient, who was hospitalized six days after showing signs of the virus, "did not take mass transit and did not attend any social gatherings while he was symptomatic."

Cappelli noted the county is "accelerating sanitizing and cleaning in our buildings," and is also canceling events and limiting trips by its employees to reduce social interactions.

Meanwhile, multiple schools have announced plans to hold half-day sessions or cancel classes for entire days, allowing administrators and teachers to plan for the possible impact of the contagious virus.

Classes will be canceled Friday in the Haddon Heights district and Monday in Haddonfield.

Students in Collingswood and Oaklyn will have half-day sessions on Thursday and Friday. Woodbury schools will have early dismissal on Friday.

Administrators and teachers will use the time to prepare for the possibility of "remote school days" in the event of school closings due to health concerns, the districts said.

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 or look for him in traffic.

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