Dear Mercer County Community,

Encouraging news has been in short supply in recent weeks, so it’s good to see that our commitment to practicing social distancing and other preventive measures to slow the spread of COVID-19 is providing cause for optimism.

State officials report that the curve of new cases is flattening and the rate of spread appears to be slowing, but not nearly enough to begin easing restrictions put into place last month to keep residents safe. The Governor has said such action is still weeks away, and that certain benchmarks must be met before beginning to reopen the state, including greatly expanded testing.

In the meantime, we all know the drill. We have to keep doing what has gotten us to this point: staying home; practicing social distancing and wearing a cloth face covering when we must go out; and taking other preventive steps such as frequent hand washing and covering coughs and sneezes. Our community has done an extraordinary job of staying the course, and for that I applaud you. But it’s crucial that we continue that commitment.

Mercer County, in collaboration with health care and municipal partners, is operating an appointment-only, drive-up testing site for COVID-19 at Quaker Bridge Mall in Lawrence, and appointment-only pop-up testing sites in Trenton for individuals who lack transportation to the mall location. The Trenton sites are now open in each city ward one day a week.

Testing will be provided for symptomatic Mercer County residents age 18 or older who have an appointment. Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough and shortness of breath.

If you are symptomatic for COVID-19 and want to be tested, contact your primary health care practitioner. If a test is needed, your doctor will fax a prescription to the Mercer County health call center at 609-630-4031, and the center will contact you to schedule an appointment. If you voice an inability to get to Quaker Bridge Mall, you will be offered an appointment at a Trenton pop-up site along with instructions on when and where to go. If you do not have a doctor, call an urgent care facility or call the Henry J. Austin Health Center in Trenton (609-278-5900) to arrange for screening.

For the health, safety and security of staff at the Quaker Bridge Mall testing site, patients will not be permitted to leave their vehicles. Walk-ups are not permitted at that testing location.

You must have an appointment to be tested. Those who show up at a testing site without an appointment will not be able to be tested.

If you have questions about the testing process, call 609-337-4081 Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

The testing sites are collaborative efforts between the County of Mercer, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton, Capital Health System, St. Francis Medical Center in Trenton, the Trenton Health Team, Henry J. Austin Health Center, the City of Trenton, Lawrence Township and Quaker Bridge Mall management.

If you believe you may have symptoms of COVID-19, the State of New Jersey’s COVID-19 Information Hub provides a self-assessment tool that will help you determine whether you should be tested. Visit self.covid19.nj.gov.

PREVENTION

To ensure the lowest chance of obtaining the virus, and spreading the virus to others:

• Practice social distancing.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after you have been in a public place or after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing.
• Avoid touching your nose, eyes and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when you have to go out in public; for example, to the grocery store or to pick up other necessities. Do not use a facemask meant for a health care worker. The cloth face cover is not a substitute for social distancing.
• If you are in a private setting and do not have on your cloth face covering, remember to always cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, or use the inside of your elbow. Throw used tissues in the trash and wash your hands or clean them with a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces

SYMPTOMS

Symptoms can appear between 2-14 days after exposure, though some people may not have any symptoms while still being contagious. It’s also important to consider whether you’ve been in contact with an infected person, as well as any symptoms you may be experiencing. In addition to fever, cough and shortness of breath, symptoms can include chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat and new loss of taste or smell.

If you believe you’ve been infected and you are not in immediate danger, you should contact your doctor by phone. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911, and notify the dispatch personnel that you may have COVID-19.

COVID-19 Symptom Checker.

CENSUS 2020

You haven’t missed your chance to participate in the 2020 Census! If your home hasn’t responded, a paper form is on the way. Check your mailbox this week for your opportunity to bring education, health care, housing, and political power to your community.

If a paper form doesn’t work for you, you can respond online or by phone. There are so many ways to count yourself in the 2020 Census — don’t wait!

People across America are keeping their families and communities safe and healthy by staying home, or serving the public by providing essential services. Responding to the Census yourself — is another way to do your part and help keep your community strong.

To respond online, visit https://my2020census.gov/login; to respond by phone, call 844-330-2020 (English) or 844-468-2020 (Spanish).

CURRENT STATUS

The New Jersey Department of Health on April 24 announced 3,047 new positive cases, bringing the total of positive cases in the state to 102,196 with 5,617 deaths. The most positive cases are in Bergen County, which has 14,363; Mercer County has 3,086, with 178 deaths. To view Mercer County data by municipality, please visit the Mercer County COVID-19 Dashboard at https://arcg.is/1y1eHO. Please note that municipal data lags behind the state data and will update as information becomes available. Visit the New Jersey Department of Health’s COVID-19 Dashboard  for more statewide information.

The CDC on April 23 announced a total of 865,585 cases of COVID-19 in the United States, and a total of 48,816 deaths, with 55 locations (50 states, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, North Mariana Islands and U.S. Virgin Islands) reporting cases. Total cases includes 2,937 probable cases and total deaths includes 5,365 probable deaths. For more information, visit cdc.gov.