By Donald Gilpin

With 43 cases of COVID-19 in Princeton (31 active positive cases, 11 recovered and released from isolation), including one death last week, of a 92-year-old woman, Princeton Health Officer Jeff Grosser reflected cautiously on the current status of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Data coming from around the state is telling us that coronavirus-related deaths in New Jersey have started to flatten,” Grosser wrote in an email Tuesday afternoon. “This does not mean that we have accomplished our goal, but we have started to see early positive effects of social distancing efforts in Princeton, Mercer County, and throughout the state.”

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy stated Monday that health officials are beginning to see a decline in the growth rate of new COVID-19 cases, signs that the curve is flattening. He cited projections that a peak in new cases in New Jersey could come between April 19 and May 11, but he re-emphasized the urgency of New Jersey residents continuing to practice social distancing and to stay at home.

Grosser, on the front lines in Princeton’s battle with the disease, observed, “It’s still somewhat too early to tell, but it seems that the percentage increases of new cases are beginning to slow down, which then should lead to less hospitalization, less intensive care, and then less death.” more

By Donald Gilpin

Remote learning is one thing. Remote eating is something quite different. This past month, Princeton Public Schools (PPS) had to figure out how to distribute more than just the varied pre-K through 12th grade coursework to children in homes throughout the district.
Distributing food for the more than 500 food-insecure students who rely on the federal free and reduced-price lunch program posed challenges that could not be solved through online electronic channels.

As the coronavirus pandemic spread and requirements for schools changed daily through late March, PPS Superintendent Steve Cochrane, a group of PPS staff members, and community leaders worked together to design, revise, communicate, and implement a plan for distributing thousands of meals to Princeton families in need.

The challenge was to protect the health of the children and their families by following Gov. Phil Murphy’s social distancing protocols and at the same time get food to families, many of whom had no access to a car that would enable them to pick up food from the schools.

The plan, devised by Cochrane in conjunction with District Transportation Director Donna Bradin and K. Lee Dixon of Nutri-Serve, the PPS food service director, came up with a plan to use 14 school buses and their drivers to set up mobile meal distribution sites in key neighborhoods and locations throughout Princeton. They would provide a box containing two weeks of meals for each of their 500 students.

Dixon initially had less than 48 hours to develop and order a menu that met federal guidelines and could last for several weeks. She confronted difficulties in trying to create a menu that included a variety of items such as soup, pasta, rice, and beans. more

By Donald Gilpin

Federal Election Commissioner (FEC) Ellen Weintraub has called for nationwide vote-by-mail, as essential to the safety and fairness of the process and to the strength of democracy, especially in the context of the current pandemic.

Speaking last Thursday in a virtual town hall with Princeton University Professor and Gerrymandering Project Founder and Director Sam Wang, Weintraub stated that voters should not have to risk their lives to cast their votes.

The 90-minute online session was the first in a series, “Fixing Bugs in Democracy,” sponsored by the Princeton Gerrymandering Project and Princeton University’s Pace Center for Civic Engagement and designed to address structural problems in American democracy and to encourage civic engagement in spite of social distancing restrictions.

“Democracy is worth the money it will cost,” Weintraub said, in advocating universal vote-by-mail. “I am very concerned about this. A lot of people are not going to be feeling comfortable going in and voting in person. If we’re still in a situation this fall where people don’t feel safe lining up to vote, we’re really going to have to beef up our capacity for vote-by-mail.” more

By Donald Gilpin

The schools are closed and empty, but remote learning is taking place with increasing intensity and purpose at the Princeton Public Schools (PPS). Technological devices like PowerSchool Learning, Google Classroom, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Instagram, social media, email, and the telephone have replaced the desks, classrooms, and white boards of the PPS.

“It’s all about flexibility right now,” said Princeton High School (PHS) Principal Jessica Baxter. “We’re all learning and changing and evolving. It’s a minute-to-minute situation. These are unprecedented times.”

Early this week Assistant Superintendent Annie Kosek said, “Our teachers are finding creative ways to engage students through activities like virtual morning meetings, small and large group chats, live and videotaped lessons, funny motivational videos, ‘spirit days’ like Crazy Hat Day, and teaching in a Google Hangout. Learning is often best as a social experience, and our teachers are striving to maintain social interaction despite our current state of social distancing.”

Teachers and librarians are holding story time, which apparently has a calming effect on both students and their parents. Teachers are sending emails and making personal check-in phone calls, and administrators are staying connected through messages, songs, magic tricks, and daily food for thought using online platforms and social media.

“With only one or two days’ notice, our lives changed,” Baxter wrote in a letter to families on March 19, after the first three days of remote learning. “As educators we were told we had to work from home and teach our students remotely. As parents we were forced to figure out child care and the home schooling of our children in addition to either still having to go out to work or work from our homes. Our students and children were told they couldn’t come to school, see their friends, play sports, be children. Some kids became caregivers and children for younger siblings in addition to being full-time students themselves.” more

By Donald Gilpin

As New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced Tuesday another major surge in coronavirus cases and deaths in the state, a coalition of Princeton organizations continued to collaborate to mitigate the effects of the pandemic. There were 69 new deaths in New Jersey announced yesterday, March 31, for a total of 267, and more than 2,000 new positive tests for a total of 18,696 coronavirus (COVID-19) cases throughout the state.

The Princeton Health Department on Tuesday reported 28 total COVID-19 cases, and there were 268 total cases reported by Mercer County. In collaboration with health partners, Mercer County has opened a drive-up testing site for COVID-19 at Quaker Bridge Mall in Lawrence. The testing center is by appointment only for symptomatic Mercer County residents age 18 and older who have a prescription from their primary health care provider.

In Princeton, the Princeton Children’s Fund (PCF) — in collaboration with Princeton Community Housing, the Princeton Human Services Department, the Princeton Senior Resource Center, and Send Hunger Packing Princeton (SHUPPrinceton) — has established a Coronavirus Emergency Relief Fund (CERF) to help Princeton families in need of financial support because of income loss during the COVID-19 crisis.

“We are asking the community to consider donating money to be used to pay day-to-day expenses that will be incurred by families who are unable to work during the shutdowns and curfews,” stated a PCF press release. Donations can be made online at www.princetonchildrensfund.org and are fully tax deductible. more