Volume LXXV, Number 14
www.towntopics.com
COVID Count at PU Stays Low With Strict Protocol, Restrictions
McCarter Hosts Concerts On Palmer Square . . . . . 5 Webinar, Book Offer Views of Biden Campaign, Election . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 PHS Graduate Discusses His Book On Super-Rich . . . . . . 10 Passage Theatre Presents Surely Goodness And Mercy . . . . . . . . . 16 Hun Baseball Primed to Compete Against Big-Time Foes . . . . . 27 Fair Making Impact for Stuart Volleyball, Helping It to 5-1 Start . . . . . . 29
This Week Billie Holiday Sings a Birthday Duet with William Wordsworth . . . 15 Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Books . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . 22 Classified Ads . . . . . . 33 Mailbox . . . . . . . . . . . 13 New To Us . . . . . . . . . 23 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . 31 Performing Arts . . . . . 17 Police Blotter . . . . . . . . 6 Real Estate . . . . . . . . 33 Religion . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Topics of the Town . . . . 5 Town Talk . . . . . . . . . . 6
As colleges and universities across the country struggle to educate their students safely and effectively in the second year of COVID-19, Princeton University, which welcomed back to campus about 2,800 undergraduates at the end of January, is carrying out its multi-faceted response to the pandemic with considerable success. An asymptomatic testing program for all regularly on campus, symptomatic testing for students, contact tracing, quarantine, and isolation, along with a mandatory social contract for students which outlines expectations for their adherence to COVID safety protocols, are all essential elements of the University’s effort to move forward safely. So far, Princeton University, which publishes information on COVID testing results daily on its COVID website, has avoided the kinds of outbreaks that have disrupted a number of other campuses throughout the country. With contact tracing, conducted in close coordination with the municipal public health office, the University can pursue the identification of any potential case clusters. The Princeton University COVID-19 Dashboard for April 6 at covid.princeton. edu shows a positivity rate of just .09 percent for asymptomatic testing during the previous week. That’s 11 positive cases, 1.57 per day, out of 12,426 tests, well below the rate for Mercer County and New Jersey as a whole. “Countless hours of careful planning and hard work went into preparations so we could invite all undergraduates to return to campus for the spring semester,” said Deputy University Spokesman Michael Hotchkiss. Almost every aspect of campus has been modified in the interests of safety, compliance with state requirements, public health guidance, and University COVID policies, Hotchkiss noted. Though most students are on campus, almost all undergraduate instruction remains virtual this spring, with only a few courses being offered in a hybrid format. “The University continues to follow public health best practices for avoiding spread of COVID-19,” Hotchkiss pointed out. “Most faculty and staff continue to work from home, and the campus remains less densely populated with a range of modifications in place to facilitate Continued on Page 11
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Wednesday, April 7, 2021
COVID Case Numbers Rise for Younger Adults The Princeton Health Department reported on Monday, April 5 that there had been 11 new positive COVID cases in Princeton in the previous 7 days for a daily average of 1.57, and 24 in the previous 14 days, a daily average of 1.71. The average age of individuals with recent new cases in Princeton is 26 years old. “Not surprisingly, new infections are being spread amongst those ineligible or not previously vaccinated,” said Princeton Health Officer Jeff Grosser. “The good news is that hospitalizations are not increasing due to the less severe health complications associated with younger people. With that said, we are still working to vaccinate those that are at high risk of severe COVID-19.” The push to vaccinate most of the state’s adult population in the coming months is gaining momentum. On Monday, April 5, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced that all New Jerseyans age 16 and older will be eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations beginning on April 19, two weeks earlier than the state had originally planned. “Never forget, the power to end this pandemic rests on our collective shoulders — all nine million of us,” said Murphy in his Monday COVID briefing. “The
decisions each of you make as individuals — to get vaccinated, to properly wear a mask, to stay home when not feeling well, to cooperate with contact tracers — these individual decisions protect you, your family, and our community.” As of Tuesday morning, 1,845,335 New Jersey residents had been fully vaccinated, with 3,065,644 having received at least one dose and a total of 4,794,010 doses administered so far by New Jersey health facilities and vaccine centers. The
state’s goal is to vaccinate 70 percent of its adult population, about 4.7 million people, by June 30. “Princeton Health Department is continuing to work with our congregate living sites and multiple dwelling facilities in order to vaccinate ‘pockets’ of our residents who have been unable to get vaccinated,” said Grosser. “We began homebound vaccinations last week and have successfully vaccinated nearly 30 residents within the confines of their homes due to illness or Continued on Page 7
Resiliency Fund Was a Lifesaver For Many Local Small Businesses At a meeting of the Princeton Merchants Association last week, the organization’s president Jack Morrison reported that all but one of the 90 $5,000 grants made available by the Princeton Small Business Resiliency Fund (PSBRF) over the past year had been issued. In two separate rounds, the funds have gone to independently owned shops, restaurants, hair salons, and other businesses to help them weather the pandemic. Most have survived; some have not. “A handful of them aren’t there anymore,” said John Goedecke of the
Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce Foundation, who with Peter Dawson oversaw management of the application process and distribution of the funds. “Some on Chambers Street, where the [Graduate] hotel is going in, have had to move. We haven’t asked them to follow up with us, but through the Chamber relationship, we have stayed in touch.” Last week, Christine Curnan, the Chamber’s vice president for membership and business development, heard back from several business owners asked how Continued on Page 12
FUN AT THE FARM: The Duck Race was one of many kid-friendly activities featured at the annual Bunny Chase Spring Celebration last weekend at Terhune Orchards on Cold Soil Road . Attendees share their favorite spring activities in this week’s Town Talk on page 6 . (Photo by Charles R. Plohn)
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