Expect A Tough January, Says Princeton Health Department

PRINCETON, NJ — With COVID-19 cases spiking in the Municipality, the Princeton Health Department has asked residents to brace themselves for a "difficult" January.

During the Jan. 10 Council Meeting, health officer Jeff Grosser provided residents with an update and confirmed that cases were spiking since the holidays due to the rapid spread of the omicron variant.

“We need to be upfront with the public on where we stand,” Grosser said. “Right now, the health department continues to see cases of COVID-19 increase at a rate that we have yet to see before in the pandemic.”

As of Jan. 10, Princeton reported 287 positive cases in seven days and 568 confirmed cases in the past 14 days.

Since Dec.21, case counts have “exploded at just an exponential rate” locally, regionally and around the state, Grosser said. Between Dec. 21, to Jan.10, the Health Department investigated a total of 697 cases.

“For perspective, Princeton’s first case of COVID-19 was confirmed on March 10, 2020. And it took a year and a half after that first case, which brought us to July 15, 2021, to see that many cases<” Grosser said. “And clearly this increase shows the contagious nature of the omicron variant.”

The health department has prioritized case investigations and contact tracing. According to the New Jersey Department of Health, the Princeton populations at greatest risk of severe disease are those over the age of 65, especially those who live in congregated living sites, and people under the age of 18.

"We do expect January, at this rate right now, to be a pretty difficult month,” Grosser said.

To mitigate the spread of the virus, Mayor Mark Freda and the Office of Emergency Management issued a mask mandate that goes into effect Thursday, Jan. 13.

Face coverings will be required in public indoor spaces including restaurants, bars, gymnasiums, dance studios, recreation facilities, retail stores, cafes, supermarkets, convenience stores, places of worship, commercial establishments, salons, barbershops, banks, healthcare facilities, hotels, and government buildings and facilities. Read More: Princeton Declares State Of Emergency, Issues Indoor Mask Mandate

“And at this point, community prevention is really our best effort at trying to slow the rapid infection throughout the rest of the community,” Grosser said.

The Health Officer asked residents to continue wearing masks especially in areas where social distancing was difficult.

“So as a community, I think we need to understand that the next few weeks will be tough, but like we did in previous surges, we're going to get through this one as well,” he said. Read More: Here Are The Upcoming COVID Vaccine Clinics In Mercer County

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