A letter from County Executive Brian M. Hughes
Dear Mercer County Community,
On Wednesday, I announced that Mercer County, in partnership with Vault Health Services, has begun offering free at-home testing for COVID-19. This is a saliva collection test that has the same effectiveness as the nasal swab test and is designed to determine if an individual is currently infected with COVID-19 and has the potential to infect others. It is available to Mercer County residents 14 years or older, and anyone employed as a first responder or health care worker in Mercer County. Individuals seeking a test should visit www.mercercares.org to register. Additional information is available on the Mercer County website under COVID-19 Testing Information.
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As the weather gets colder and people are driven indoors, there will be greater opportunity for the virus to spread. Testing for COVID-19 allows health officials to identify and isolate people who are infected. I’m pleased to be able to offer this convenient option of testing at home as part of that effort. Another important piece is contact tracing, the process used to identify those who come into contact with people who have tested positive for COVID-19. Contact tracers will recommend next steps such as self-quarantining while keeping your information confidential. For contact tracers to do their jobs effectively, they need the public’s cooperation. If you are contacted by a tracer, please take the call and provide the requested information.
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Election Day is 11 days away but there is no need to wait until Nov. 3 to vote. State officials report that more than 2.2 million New Jersey voters already have cast their ballots – more than 50 percent of the total cast in 2016. Mail-in ballots have been sent to every active voter in New Jersey. If you have not received your ballot, contact the Mercer County Clerk’s Office at 609-989-6494 or 989-6495.
If you plan to return your ballot by mail, your ballot must be postmarked on or before Nov. 3. You also have the option of returning your completed mail-in ballot at one of 16 secure drop-box locations; at the Mercer County Board of Elections, 1440 Parkside Ave. in Ewing; or at your designated polling location by 8 p.m. on Election Day. The drop boxes are accessible and secure -- they are open 24 hours a day and are monitored by security cameras. Ballots placed in drop boxes are collected daily and delivered to the Board of Elections.
If you prefer to vote in person, you can do so at your designated polling location on Nov. 3. Any voter who chooses to cast an in-person vote will do so on a provisional (paper) ballot, and all individuals with disabilities will have access to an ADA-conforming voting machine.
Whatever method you choose, please be sure to vote -- it’s a vital part of our democracy. If you have a voting-related question, call the Mercer County Voter Hotline at 609-278-2719 or email MercerVotes@mercercounty.org.
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After seeing the number of known COVID-19 infections fall steadily during the late spring and summer from their peak in April, we now are seeing that number heading in the wrong direction – throughout much of New Jersey and much of the country. New Jersey has reported more than 1,000 new positive cases for six straight days; hospitalizations of patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases are the highest they have been in three months; and with its recent uptick in cases, the state has met its own criteria used in the 14-day quarantine travel advisory it shares with New York and Connecticut, which now includes 39 states and territories.
We can turn this around, but only if everyone takes personal responsibility for doing what’s necessary to limit the spread of this virus: Wear a mask that covers your nose and mouth when around others; practice social distancing; and wash your hands frequently with soap and water. Continuing to take those basic preventative measures will help you protect yourself and protect others, including our most vulnerable residents.
Finally, please get a flu shot. The flu vaccine will not protect against COVID-19, but it will help protect you from flu viruses this fall and winter, and also can save valuable health care resources. Let’s continue to support each other and keep each other safe. Let’s continue to work together.
Brian M. Hughes
Mercer County Executive
Pre-registration for small-business grants closes Tuesday
TRENTON – Business owners interested in Phase 3 of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority’s Small Business Emergency Assistance Grant Program, which will be funded with $70 million in Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding, must pre-register by Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 5 p.m. to receive an application. Pre-register here.
Phase 3 further expands eligibility for the grant program and increases the amount of funding individual businesses can receive. Any business or nonprofit located in New Jersey, including home-based businesses, with 50 or fewer full-time equivalent employees (FTEs) is eligible to receive grant funding during Phase 3. Businesses that received funding in previous phases of the program are eligible to receive Phase 3 funding.
Applications will become available on a rolling basis following the pre-registration period. Pre-registered applicants will need to return to complete an application based on the following schedule:
• Restaurants – 9 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 29
• Micro-businesses – 9 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 30
• All other businesses, excluding restaurants and micro-businesses – 9 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 2
Applications for each category will be open for a period of one week and will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. More information about this grant program is available at https://cv.business.nj.gov.
CURRENT STATUS
The New Jersey Department of Health on Oct. 23 announced 1,139 new positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the cumulative total of positive cases in the state to 225,430; and 11 additional confirmed COVID-19 deaths, bringing the cumulative total to 14,484 confirmed deaths and 1,789 probable deaths. Mercer County's 23 new positive cases bring its cumulative total to 9,072, with 604 confirmed COVID-19 deaths and 35 probable 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 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Oct. 23 announced 74,380 new positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the cumulative total of positive cases in the United States to 8,387,047; and 1,009 additional deaths, bringing the cumulative total to 222,447 with 55 locations (50 states, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, North Mariana Islands and U.S. Virgin Islands) reporting.
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HAVE GENERAL QUESTIONS ABOUT COVID-19?
The NJ Poison Control Center and 211 have partnered with the State to provide information to the public on COVID-19:
Call: (general COVID-19 questions) 2-1-1 (24/7)
Call: (medical COVID-19 questions) 1-800-962-1253 (24/7)
Text: NJCOVID to 898-211 to receive alerts
Visit https://covid19.nj.gov/ or nj.gov/health for additional information
PREVENTION AND SYMPTOMS
COVID-19 is thought to spread mainly through close contact from person to person, including between people who are physically near each other (within about 6 feet). People who are infected but do not show symptoms can spread the virus to others.
To ensure the lowest chance of obtaining the virus, and spreading the virus to others:
• Wear a face mask in public settings, especially when you can’t stay at least 6 feet away from others. Masks help stop the spread of COVID-19 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. If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol.
• Stay home if you are sick, except to get medical care.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, or use the inside of your elbow.
• Avoid touching your nose, eyes and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily.
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Symptoms can appear between 2-14 days after exposure, though some people may not have any symptoms while still being contagious. In addition to fever, cough and shortness of breath, symptoms can include chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, new loss of taste or smell, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea.
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
BUSINESS ASSISTANCE
For information on COVID-19/Novel Coronavirus and its impact on businesses – including resources, assistance and regulations -- visit the State of New Jersey business portal and the Mercer County Office of Economic Development’s COVID-19 Business Resources page.
COPING WITH STRESS
If you’re feeling stressed, anxious or depressed due to COVID-19, please call New Jersey's MentalHealthCares Helpline at 866-202-HELP (4357) or visit njmentalhealthcares.org for emotional support, guidance, and mental health referrals as needed. You also may call the SAMHSA Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746 (TTY 1-800-846-8517). Listing of additional resources.
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