Volume LXXIV, Number 21
Princeton Strong Pages 9-18 Princeton’s Health Care History Explored in Open Archive Program . . . . . 5 Council Takes Another Look at Goals and Priorities . . . . . . . . . 19 The Poetry of Mystery: Watching Dark Passage in a Dark Time . . . . . 24 Princeton Festival Goes Virtual . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Davis Overcomes Injuries to Star for PU Baseball . . . . . . . . 29 Led by Senior Group, Hun Girls’ Lax was Poised for Big Spring . . . . . . . . . 32
PHS Grad Lopez-Ona Debuts for Michigan Women’s Lax . . . . . . . 31 Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Berkshire Hathaway Fox & Roach Realtors . .20, 21 Books . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Classified Ads . . . . . . 36 Mailbox . . . . . . . . . . . 23 New To Us . . . . . . . . . 28 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . 34 Performing Arts . . . . . 25 Police Blotter . . . . . . . . 7 Real Estate . . . . . . . . 36 Religion . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Topics of the Town . . . . 5 Town Talk . . . . . . . . . . 6
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Princeton Professor Pivots To Develop Life-Saving Ventilators Temporarily abandoning DarkSide-20k, his research into the dark matter of the universe, Princeton University Physics Professor Cristiano Galbiati in mid-March went to work to create ventilators for coronavirus patients. Less than two months later, on May 1, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Galbiati’s Mechanical Ventilator Milano (MVM) for use under the FDA’s Emergency Use Authorization. The MVM is currently moving into production stages, soon to be generating 50 ventilators a day. Since dark matter, a mysterious invisible substance, is much more complex than ventilators, Galbiati quickly realized that he and his international team of physicists studying dark matter had the expertise and could mobilize the network of support needed to address the worldwide shortage of mechanical ventilators, which are vital for the survival of COVID-19 victims suffering from lack of oxygen. “We needed to pivot and do something for the good of our people — and forget about our research,” Galbiati said in a phone call Tuesday from Milan, where he has been in lockdown with his family for the past two months. “This time we needed to apply our research for the health of the people.” He described “a very stressful period” in Milan two months ago as the coronavirus was spreading in Italy. “I was locked down,” he said. “I called a friend of mine whose family had made a big donation to a hospital where they were fighting the pandemic. He told me the hospital’s order for ventilators had been canceled because of shortages and couldn’t be filled.” Galbiati also talked with his brother, an emergency room doctor, who reported that his hospital was also in need of ventilators. “The sense of crisis was very deep,” Galbiati told Symmetry Magazine. “We were in utter disbelief. It’s something that I never thought I would experience in my lifetime.” Galbiati and his team used their experience in working with technical gases and control systems, and their collaboration has grown to include about 400 scientists from about 100 institutions in nine countries, with Italy, the United States, and Continued on Page 7
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Wednesday, May 20, 2020
Princeton Looks to Reopening — With Restrictions Princeton continues to see decreases in the daily numbers of positive COVID-19 cases, as social distancing remains but restrictions are gradually lifted throughout the state. As of Tuesday, there have been 17 deaths, seven additional probable (not tested) COVID-19-related deaths, 164 confirmed positive cases, and 80 individuals recovered and released from isolation in Princeton, according to the Princeton Health Department. Princeton Health Officer Jeff Grosser emphasized the focus on long-term care facilities, where most of the COVID-19-related deaths in Princeton have occurred. As of May 18, the New Jersey Department of Health reported 47 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and seven deaths at Princeton Care Center, and 19 confirmed cases and six deaths at Acorn Glen. “Another large step forward in the battle against COVID-19 was announced by the New Jersey Department of Health in a recent Executive Directive signed by the Commissioner of Health requiring every long-term care facility to verify that they have developed disease and outbreak plans for testing staff and residents by
May 19,” Grosser said. “Facilities must amend outbreak plans to include COVID-19 testing; and plans must be implemented by May 26.” The directive also includes re-testing within three days for individuals who test negative. “The Princeton Health Department has been advising long-term care facilities on the importance of testing staff to ensure that asymptomatic staff are not spreading the virus among such a vulnerable population,” Grosser added. The Health Department has been working with businesses, nonprofits, and schools in beginning to discuss plans leading to reopening. Starting last week, the Princeton Health Department has been using volunteers, college interns, and parking enforcement officers to assist with extensive contact tracing. “Contact tracing is a fundamental activity that involves working with a client who has been diagnosed with an infectious disease to identify and provide support to contacts who may have been infected through exposure to the patient,” Grosser wrote in an email. He continued, “This process prevents
“ODE TO BLUEBERRIES”: For week four of our Community Comes Together campaign, we invited local youths to send in a poem . Daniel, age 8, penned this ode to one of New Jersey’s most popular fruits . See the Town Topics website and Facebook page for more submissions for this week . Next week’s project will feature recipes .
further transmission of disease by separating people who have (or may have) an infectious disease from people who do not. It is a core disease control measure that has been employed by public health agency personnel for decades.” In his daily coronavirus briefing, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced on Tuesday, May 19 a total of at least 149,013 COVID-19 cases in the state, with 1,055 new positive tests in the previous 24 hours. The reported COVID-19-related death toll was at least 10,586, with 162 new deaths reported. Murphy noted that the daily numbers of new cases, deaths, and hospitalizations continue to drop and that the lifting of restrictions will continue. Auto dealerships and bike shops are permitted to open May 20 with social distancing restrictions, he said. State and county parks are now permitted to reopen with restrictions and nonessential retail businesses may offer curbside pickup. Plans are in place to open beaches this weekend, with social distancing guidelines. Murphy described Continued on Page 7
Madeleine Albright Reflects On Memoirs As She Entertains Online Audience Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright offered wit and wisdom, anecdotes, and insight on a wide range of topics Friday evening in a conversation with Anne Marie Slaughter, CEO of New America and Princeton University professor emerita of politics and international affairs. The Princeton Public Library (PPL)sponsored virtual benefit was attended by more than 500 people. Albright, who is on a book tour to promote her latest memoir, has established several additional careers since she stepped down as the first woman secretary of state in 2001 at the end of the Clinton administration. She is a professor of diplomacy at Georgetown University; a six-time New York Times best-selling author; a business entrepreneur, as chair of the Albright Stonebridge global business strategy group and founder of Albright Capital Management investment advisory service; and is also continuing her service as chair of the National Democratic Institute and as a member of the U.S. Defense Department Defense Policy Board. Continued on Page 8
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