Mercer Co.’s COVID Cases Remain In ‘Orange Zone:' See Town Update

MERCER COUNTY, NJ — The coronavirus continues to take a grim toll on Mercer County, impacting local businesses and schools in the region, according to updated state data (see town-by-town totals below).

The state Department of Health's most recent "COVID-19 Activity Level Report," which is issued weekly, says Mercer County is still in the “orange zone" for coronavirus cases, dropping from the "red" zone in recent weeks.

This week, Mercer County reported 72 new confirmed COVID-19 positive cases.

The "red zone" means the daily new COVID-19 virus case rate, per 100,000 people, is "very high" currently in 11 counties. That means they exceed 25 cases per 100,000 people over a seven-day average. The "orange" zone means they have a rate of 10 to 25 cases per 100,000 people.

The latest reports say the overall coronavirus activity level is either "moderate," or "yellow," or "high," or "orange," in all New Jersey counties.

"When it is high risk, there are some recommendations that we make together with local school boards," said Edward Lifshitz, medical director for the state Department of Health.

Indeed, a number of school districts have shifted to remote instruction as the numbers have risen.

The overall coronavirus risk rose to "high" in each of the counties because:

• The new daily case rate in each of the counties rose to 10 or more per 100,000 people.
• The percent of COVID-19-like illnesses rose above 5.52 in each of the counties.
• The percent of positive cases rose above 10.01.

Mercer County officials provided the following breakdown of cases by town on Friday:

East Windsor

• Daily cases: 1

Ewing Township

• Daily cases: 7

Hamilton Township

• Daily cases: 20

Hightstown Boro

• Daily cases: 1

Hopewell Boro

• Daily cases: 0

Hopewell Township

• Daily cases: 1

Lawrence Township

• Daily cases: 1

Pennington Boro

• Daily cases: 0

Princeton

• Daily cases: 0

Robbinsville Township

• Daily cases: 4

Trenton City

• Daily cases: 17

West Windsor Township

• Daily cases: 1

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