“Due to the pandemic, employers have had to make the difficult decision of laying off their staff or face imminent closure,” Mr. Hughes said. “Through our most recent partnership with the UCEDC, we are confident that financial assistance can be dedicated to our Capital Region immediately.”

The UCEDC Crisis Relief Loan Program will now offer a low-interest, quick-response, working capital loan program in response to COVID-19. Small-business owners can borrow up to $15,000 at 2 percent for up to five years with no collateral requirements to meet their COVID-19 crisis needs. The Crisis Relief Loan Program expands on a new partnership between the UCEDC and County of Mercer. That partnership was bolstered by the Board of Chosen Freeholders’ recent approval of the Mercer County Business Lending Program, which will offer a variety of loans and assistance to county businesses.

County Executive Hughes said that people who are interested in assisting their community during a crisis should consider joining the Mercer County Medical Reserve Corps (MRC).

The Mercer County MRC unit invites any licensed health care professional, professional or retired, who lives or works in Mercer County and any community volunteer who lives or works in Mercer County who has an interest in health and emergency preparedness issues to join. MRC volunteers supplement existing emergency and public health resources to prepare for and respond to emergencies at a local level. All volunteers receive free training.

Sign up to be an MRC volunteer by creating an account on the New Jersey Learning Management Network. CLICK HERE for instructions. For more information, contact Stephanie Mendelsohn at 609-989-6898 or smendelsohn@mercercounty.org.

Reported illnesses have ranged from mild symptoms to severe illness and death for confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the following symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure (based on what has been seen previously as the incubation period of MERS-CoV viruses).

• Fever
• Cough
• Shortness of breath

Call ahead to a health care professional if you develop a fever and symptoms of respiratory illness, such as cough or difficulty breathing, and have been in close contact with a person known to have COVID-19 or if you live in or have recently traveled to an area with ongoing spread. Tell your health care professional about your recent travel or contact. Your health care professional will work with the State Health Department and CDC to determine if you need to be tested for COVID-19.

For more information on preventing the spread of COVID-19 if you are sick, visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/steps-when-sick.html

Everyone can play a part in responding to this rapidly evolving public health crisis. It is currently flu and respiratory disease season and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends getting a flu vaccine and taking everyday preventive actions to help stop the spread of germs. This includes:

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Practice social distancing.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect recently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing. If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.

More information from the CDC: How to Protect Yourself.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is responding to an outbreak of respiratory disease caused by a novel (new) coronavirus that was first detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China and which has now been detected in more than 150 locations internationally, including cases in the United States. The virus has been named “SARS-CoV-2” and the disease it causes has been named “coronavirus disease 2019” (abbreviated “COVID-19”).

The New Jersey Department of Health on March 23 announced 435 new positive cases, bringing the total of positive cases in the state to 2,844, with 27 deaths. The most positive cases are in Bergen County, which has 609; Mercer County has 50. Visit the New Jersey Department of Health’s COVID-19 Dashboard  for more information.

The CDC on March 23 announced a total of 33,404 cases of COVID-19 in the United States, and a total of 400 deaths, with 54 locations (50 states, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and U.S. Virgin Islands) reporting cases. This includes both confirmed and presumptive positive cases of COVID-19 reported to CDC or tested at CDC since Jan. 21, 2020. State and local public health departments are now testing and publicly reporting their cases.

The federal government has been working closely with state and local partners, as well as public health partners, to respond to this public health threat. Unprecedented, aggressive efforts have been taken to contain the spread and mitigate the impact of this virus.

This is a rapidly evolving situation. CDC will continue to update the public as circumstances warrant.  For more information about COVID-19 visit www.mercercounty.org/covid-19.