By Donald Gilpin

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy formally ended the state’s 15-month-old public health emergency last week, with almost all restrictions lifted. New Jersey is approaching its end-of-June goal to have 70 percent of the state’s adults vaccinated. Infection rates are declining throughout the state and across the country, and the Princeton Health Department reported Monday that there had been just two new COVID-19 cases in Princeton in the previous 14 days and none in the previous seven days.

Princeton Health Officer Jeff Grosser reflected on some of the lessons that Princeton and the health department have learned over the long, difficult journey of the COVID pandemic.

He noted how Princeton residents had risen to meet the challenges. “I believe the residents learned the power of collective action towards the betterment of public health,” he wrote in a June 8 email.

Local businesses also did their part, Grosser pointed out. “Businesses went above and beyond precaution to ensure their workers and customers were safe,” he said. “Business owners and managers regularly invited us to various business panels to discuss current guidance.”

Grosser went on to describe how Princeton Public Schools and the local private schools managed frequently-changing guidance from the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) and the New Jersey Department of Education. The school nurses mobilized to support their schools and also participated with the health department at vaccination clinics and in the contact tracing efforts of the early most dangerous days of the pandemic.

Other community organizations like the Princeton Public Library, nonprofits, and houses of worship also worked with the health department to implement guidelines and serve the community.

“In general, I believe the community as a whole has a new understanding of the importance of public health and its infrastructure,” Grosser said.

In discussing the many course changes the Princeton Health Department has undergone throughout the pandemic, Grosser noted that the department “has improved upon its ability to adapt to anything.” He explained, “The pandemic has gone through phases where most of our resources are committed to a very large task while preparing for the next task.”

He recalled the early spring of 2020 when his department had to perform contact tracing for all new COVID-19 cases while also assisting local long-term care centers with disease surveillance and investigation. “At that time there were three full-time staff working on tasks that otherwise would be fit for about 10-12 individuals,” he said. “When everything closed down, it actually gave our department some reprieve in order to concentrate on disease investigation.”

As businesses and schools began to consider reopening, the Princeton Health Department became a sounding board for questions about existing guidance. Then the health department began preparing for the vaccines and clinics while continuing the contact tracing through the second wave of COVID in the winter of 2021.

Grosser noted that eventually more resources were made available through the NJDOH, with support from the mayor, Council members, and administration, and the services of trained health professionals..

“The mobile vaccination clinic is a great example of how investments in public health, specifically public health professionals, can bring life-changing services to those who need it,” Grosser said. “Without selfless public health professionals, communities can be at a great disadvantage for basic health services like vaccinations, health screenings, and referrals to social supports.”