By Donald Gilpin

The curve continues to flatten in Princeton, as only two new cases of COVID-19 have been reported by the Princeton Health Department since Monday, with a total of 161 cases, 62 active positive cases, and 79 COVID-19 patients recovered and released from isolation, according to today’s May 15 report.

There have been 15 confirmed COVID-related deaths and an additional seven probable (not tested but COVID symptomatic) deaths in Princeton.

At his Friday afternoon press briefing, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced 201 more deaths from COVID-19 in the state, bringing the New Jersey total to 10,138 deaths, with at least 143,905 total cases, 1,297 new cases reported over the past 24 hours.

Murphy emphasized that the state’s daily numbers of new deaths from COVID-19, confirmed cases, and hospitalizations continue to decline significantly, allowing an easing of restrictions and lockdown orders.

New state guidance announced earlier this week  requires long-term care facilities to test all patients/residents and staff by May 26 and then retest all individuals who test negative within three to seven days and continue to retest in accordance with Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines. Each facility must submit to the state by May 19 a disease outbreak plan that includes COVID-19 testing for all staff and patients. Long-term care facilities have accounted for about half the state’s COVID-related deaths and almost all of the COVID-19 deaths in Princeton.

The Jersey Shore will be open in time for Memorial Day weekend, Murphy announced yesterday, with social distancing guidelines in place. No special events will be allowed, and playgrounds, rides, picnic areas, arcades, and water play equipment will remain closed.

Earlier this week the governor announced that nonessential retail businesses will be allowed to offer curbside pickup, starting on Monday, May 18. No customers will be allowed inside non-essential retail stores. Also allowed next Monday will be the restart of non-essential construction with safeguards in place. Murphy’s executive order also allows drive-through events, such as church services.

More than one million New Jersey residents have filed for unemployment over the last two months, and the state government is predicting $10 billion in tax revenue losses through next year with the prospect of massive public worker layoffs if the state does not get more federal aid.

The New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) today announced a total of 5,673 COVID-19 cases in Mercer County with 386 COVID-19-related deaths.

Despite recent significant increases in testing in the state, actual numbers of COVID-19 infections, locally and statewide, probably surpass confirmed case numbers because of testing backlogs and residents who have not been tested.

For more information, visit princetoncovid.org or covid19.nj.gov.