By Donald Gilpin

The Princeton Health Department reported on Monday, May 10, just two positive cases of COVID-19 in the previous seven days for a 0.28 daily average, and just five cases in the previous 14 days for a 0.35 daily average.

Princeton Health Officer Jeff Grosser pointed out a decline of 45 percent in the number of positive cases from March to April this year, with a decline of 55 percent from the two-week period April 7-20 to the two-week period April 21-May 4.

“Public health restrictions will continue to ease as case counts decrease,” Grosser said. “Next Wednesday, May 19, will be a big moment for businesses and restaurants as indoor capacities are lifted altogether.” Indoor masking and social distancing rules will remain, with groups required to remain six feet apart. This may prevent smaller businesses and restaurants from resuming full capacity.

With more than 50 percent of New Jersey’s 6.9 million adults vaccinated, the Princeton Health Department is beginning to shift focus and resources into “pop-up” vaccine clinics, Grosser said.

“These clinics are spurred by community outreach to our office, informing us of interested residents/workers/students, etc. Instead of continuing to perform clinics at one site in town, our staff take the vaccine equipment and resources to the areas in need of vaccine in order to provide convenience and break down any existing barriers to receiving the vaccine.”

The health department held a walk-in vaccination clinic last Friday, May 7, at La Mexicana on Witherspoon Street. The surrounding businesses of El Chapin and Conexion Latina provided extra space, assistance, and communication.

Vaccinations were provided from 5:45 a.m. to 9 a.m., as 39 individuals were vaccinated, the majority being residents of the Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood.  “We also passed out vaccine education materials and talked with those who were unsure about getting vaccinated,” said Grosser.

With the approval on Monday, May 10, by the FDA to open Pfizer vaccines to the 12-15 age range, the health department is in active conversations with Princeton Nassau Pediatrics and Princeton University on the best way to deliver vaccinations to this age group in Princeton.

The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), in its May 11 newsletter, stated that “with increasing rates of COVID-19 infection in adolescents, this expanded eligibility provides an opportunity to further protect your children from the virus and help get life back to normal.”

Emphasizing the safety of the COVID-19 vaccination and the importance of getting all eligible individuals vaccinated, the CHOP newsletter continued, “In Pfizer’s study of more than 2,000 adolescents ages 12-15, the vaccine was well-tolerated and found to have 100 percent efficacy, meaning no children who received the COVID-19 vaccine contracted the virus.”

Widespread inoculations of this age group are seen as an important step on the way to successful in-person school reopenings, summer camps, sports teams, and the normalization of family life.

Vaccination appointment availability continues to proliferate and become more easily accessible. Individuals seeking vaccination through the state must pre-register at covidvaccine.nj.gov. Locations of area COVID-19 vaccines can be found at vaccinatenj.herokuapp.com. CVS, RiteAid, Walgreens, ShopRite, and other Mercer County locations (covid19.nj.gov), as well as health care centers at Princeton Penn Medicine, Hackensack Meridian, and RWJ/Barnabas are also offering the vaccine.