A letter from County Executive Brian M. Hughes
Dear Mercer County Community,
As we get further into the holiday season, with Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, New Year’s and other celebrations still to come, it’s important that everyone remains focused on doing what’s necessary to stay safe and stop the spread of COVID-19. The public health recommendations that were in place for Thanksgiving, such as limiting gatherings to your immediate household whenever possible, still apply. Please keep that in mind when planning holiday activities.
Gatherings must comply with current indoor and outdoor limits set by the state – no more than 10 people if indoors and, effective Dec. 7, no more than 25 people if outdoors. (There are exceptions for wedding ceremonies, funerals, memorial services, religious or political activities, and performance venues.) If you do invite people to your home, ask them to avoid contact with people outside their own households for 14 days before the gathering. That means planning ahead, which has become necessary as we continue to grapple with this virus. The full list of public health recommendations can be found in the New Jersey Department of Health’s Winter Holiday and Celebration Guidance.
|
Above all, we need to be vigilant about doing what we did so effectively in the spring to flatten the curve and reduce the stress on our health care system: Wear a mask that covers your nose and mouth; keep at least 6 feet away from other people; practice good hand hygiene; and stay home if you are sick. Getting through the coming holidays and the rest of the winter safely will take a commitment on everyone’s part to continue doing those basic things. It might seem daunting but we can do it. Let’s continue to support each other. Let’s continue to work together.
***
Small businesses – the backbone of our local economy -- have taken an enormous hit during the past nine months. Some have not been able to survive the drop-off in business caused by the pandemic; many others are struggling to stay afloat. Please support them whenever possible, and if you plan to do any holiday shopping during the next several weeks, buy local. (If you do in-person shopping, be sure to mask up.)
***
I’d like to give a shout-out to the staff of the Mercer County Library System for the tremendous work they have done, and continue to do, to help keep our community enlightened and entertained during the pandemic.
As soon as it was forced to close its nine branch buildings in March, the Library System responded by offering expanded free, online content that has kept growing. The Library System has continued the contactless pickup service it began in June, and has fulfilled close to 30,000 curbside pickups of library materials. You can even book your curbside pickup online. When the Library System reopened its doors in early October, it did so with a hybrid of contactless pickup service and open public hours, and now offers both live in-branch programming and live virtual programming along with YouTube videos and more.
As we continually seek any semblance of normalcy during this public health crisis, the Library System’s ability to adapt and remain a source of information and enjoyment has been a great comfort to our community. Hats off to everyone involved!
Brian M. Hughes
Mercer County Executive
Child care tuition assistance -- application deadline Dec. 7
Child care assistance is available for New Jersey families with children attending partially or fully remote school, and with incomes of up to $150,000 a year. Applications will be accepted by the NJ Department of Human Services until Monday, Dec. 7. Learn more at ChildCareNJ.gov/covid19.
Small-business PPE discounts -- application deadline Dec. 10
 Learn more at covid19.nj.gov/ppeaccess
CURRENT STATUS
The New Jersey Department of Health on Dec. 4 announced 5,673 new positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the cumulative total of positive cases in the state to 356,662; and 48 additional confirmed COVID-19 deaths, bringing the cumulative total to 15,419 confirmed deaths and 1,836 probable deaths. Mercer County's 201 new positive cases bring its cumulative total to 14,531, with 632 confirmed COVID-19 deaths and 37 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 Dec. 4 announced 219,187 new positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the cumulative total of positive cases in the United States to 14,041,436; and 2,861 additional deaths, bringing the cumulative total to 275,386 with 55 locations (50 states, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, North Mariana Islands and U.S. Virgin Islands) reporting.
|
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
How COVID-19 spreads:
COVID-19 spreads easily from person to person, mainly by the following routes:
• Between people who are in close contact with one another (within 6 feet).
• Through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, breathes, sings or talks.
People who are infected but do not show symptoms can also spread the virus to others.
|
To ensure the lowest chance of obtaining the virus, and spreading the virus to others:
• Wear a face mask that covers your nose and mouth in public settings and when around people who don’t live in your household. Masks help stop the spread of COVID-19 to others.
• Practice social distancing -- stay at least 6 feet (about 2 arms’ length) from other people who are not from your household in both indoor and outdoor spaces.
• 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.
Symptoms can appear between 2-14 days after exposure, though some people may not have any symptoms while still being contagious. Symptoms can include: fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, 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
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.
JOBS AND HIRING
Did you lose your job or have your hours reduced as a result of COVID-19? The State of New Jersey has created a resource page to help you connect to benefits and resources you need while you are trying to safely get back to work, as well as some tips for coping with the stress of losing a job: covid19.nj.gov/work. In addition, Mercer County’s One-Stop Career Center has posted a list of employment opportunities.
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.
|
