Princeton woman among 4 COVID-19 deaths in Mercer County, state death toll rises to 537
TRENTON » A Princeton woman in her 90s is the latest Mercer County resident to die of complications of coronviarus,
Princeton health officials confirmed the woman’s death Thursday, saying she likely contracted the virus from a home health aide.
The health department was conducting contact tracing to determine who else encountered the aide.
“Princeton extends our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of the patient, as well as all who have been affected by this outbreak,” the township said in a statement.
The woman was one of 32 positive cases in the township. Trenton leads the county with 70 cases, followed by Hamilton with 66. Those figures include the deaths of a Trenton woman and a Hamilton man.
Six Trentonians remain hospitalized, seven are isolated at home with moderate symptoms and the rest have mild or no symptoms, Trenton city spokesman Connor Ilchert said.
The update comes on a particularly grim day for the Garden State.
New Jersey reported another 3,489 positive coronavirus cases Thursday, bringing the total to 25,590.
Gov. Phil Murphy said another 182 New Jerseyeans died from complications of the coronavirus, the state’s biggest single-day jump since the outbreak. The death count now stands at 537.
Not all of them happened in the last 24 hours as the sobering increase reflected a lag in total reported deaths, Murphy said. They included a Hudson County corrections officer, a medical technician in Newark and award-winning singer-songwriter Adam Schlesinger.
Murphy called the death toll “stark and sobering.”
“We can lower these numbers, and we will,”
Murphy said, continuing to stress the need for social distancing.
Murphy has already locked down the state, indefinitely shuttering schools and non-essential businesses to try to stop the spread of the virus.
The global pandemic has crippled the Garden State economy, forcing businesses to close and leaving thousands out of work.
The state Department of Labor reported another 206,000 residents applied for unemployment benefits last week, Murphy said.
Shortages of medical supplies for Garden State frontline workers waging “war” on the disease forced Murphy to take another drastic step Thursday.
He said he’d sign an executive order giving State Police the power to commandeer personal protective gear, ventilators and other medical supplies for hospitals and healthcare facilities that need if most.
“They badly need the equipment,” Murphy said. “If need be, we will use this authority.”
In overnight enforcement efforts, Murphy announced six people were charged with crimes for spitting or coughing on law enforcement and claiming they had the coronavirus.
Police also issued hundreds of citations and shut down businesses flouting the governor’s order, said Col. Patrick Callahan, superintendent of the State Police.
People charged with certain indictable offenses face maximum fines of $10,000 and 18 months in prison if convicted.
“These are not slaps on the wrists,” Murphy said.
Of the statewide total, Mercer County reported another 47 cases overnight, bringing its total to 386. Another death was reported, marking the fourth in the county.
Officials expect more cases as testing as testing ramps up in the area. The appointment-only drive-thru testing center at Quaker Bridge Mall has tested 266 patients since opening this week.
“Our team is keeping up with the demand and we have not had to turn anyone away because of a lack of test kits,” Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes said in a statement.
In Trenton, at least four city police officers, including director Sheilah Coley, have tested positive for the illness but were reportedly doing OK.
The five captains who are a part of the Trenton Police command staff were quarantined as a result. In all, 26 cops are quarantined, Trenton Police spokesman Lt. Jason Kmiec said.
The forced quarantines haven’t yet started to present a problem for the police force, he said.
“We’re still way above 90 percent,” Kmiec said. “We have no issues on the street as far as manpower goes.”