A freeholder in Cape May County is asking visitors to stay away for the next couple of weeks as the nation continues to fight the coronavirus pandemic.

Cape May County Freeholder Director Gerald Thornton tells NJ.com, "I have been in this business for a lot of years. I have been through hurricanes, snowstorms, and the H1N1 flu virus, but this is the worst situation I have ever been involved with."

Thorton is particularly concerned since Cape May County only has one hospital. Seniors account for one-quarter of the county's population while second or vacation homes account for 48% of housing.

Simply put, lots of out-of-town people could quickly overwhelm the county's medical system.

Thronton says, "at this point in time, our county health department is really concerned about what’s happening.”

He goes on to state, "this is not a vacation."

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