Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes today ordered the closure of all county-run facilities, except for essential functions, beginning at the close of business today, March 16, and until further notice, due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) public health crisis.

“The purpose of this action is to reduce the movement of people in county buildings for the health and safety of our employees and the public with whom they interact,” Mr. Hughes said.

Facilities to close include the McDade Administration Building, 640 South Broad St.; Office of the County Clerk, 209 South Broad St.; Board of Social Services, 200 Woolverton St.; One-Stop Career Center, 26 Yard Ave.; Cooperative Extension of Mercer County, 1440 Parkside Ave., Ewing;  Mercer County Connection, Route 33 at Paxson Avenue, Hamilton; all branches of the Mercer County Library System; Mercer County Improvement Authority, 80 Hamilton Ave.; CURE Insurance Arena, 81 Hamilton Ave.; and Arm & Hammer Park, 1 Thunder Road.

All Mercer County Park Commission facilities will close but open spaces will remain available for passive recreation. Park Rangers will continue to patrol the parks.

The following county facilities and buildings will remain open: Correction Center, Sheriff’s Office and Emergency Services Communications Center. The Criminal and Civil Courthouses will be open only for emergency court proceedings, and the Office of the Surrogate will be open only for cases deemed emergent.

Trenton-Mercer Airport is a public-use facility and the Federal Aviation Administration requires it to be open to accommodate medivac, military and state police operations. The FAA has not yet placed limitations on commercial travel or general aviation. Should that situation change, the passenger terminal could be shut down.

Other essential services that will continue to be provided include TRADE (Transportation Resources to Aid the Disadvantaged and Elderly), which will suspend transportation for shopping but continue service for medical appointments, including dialysis, and meal delivery; emergency roadway operations and other functions deemed essential.

MEDICAL RESERVE CORPS

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.

SYMPTOMS

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

PREVENTIVE MEASURES

Everyone can play a part in responding to this emerging, rapidly evolving public health threat. 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.
• 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.

WHAT IS COVID-19?

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 100 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”).

CURRENT STATUS

The New Jersey Department of Health on March 16 announced 80 new positive cases, bringing the total of positive cases in the state to 178, with two deaths. The most positive cases are in Bergen County, which has 61; Mercer County has six. Visit the New Jersey Department of Health’s COVID-19 Dashboard and the Princeton and Lawrence municipal websites for more information.

The CDC on March 16 announced a total of 3,487 cases of COVID-19 in the United States, and a total of 68 deaths, with 53 locations (49 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.