The number of Lawrence Township residents who have died after contracting COVID-19 has risen to three people, Lawrence Township officials announced on April 13.
The three Lawrence Township residents are among the 71 Mercer County residents who have died of the virus, and the 1,731 Mercer County residents who have tested positive for COVID-19 as of April 14, according to Mercer County officials.
In Lawrence Township, 67 residents had tested positive for COVID-19 as of April 13, based on statistics released by the New Jersey Department of Health. Municipal data lags behind state data, Mercer County officials said.
Public health investigations are under way in Lawrence Township, and individuals who may have been in contact with the infected residents are being notified, township officials said.
Meanwhile, there is a constant reminder of the totals of illnesses and deaths caused by COVID-19 in every country and in every state in the United States, Municipal Manager Kevin Nerwinski wrote in his blog on the township’s website, www.lawrencetwp.com.
Nerwinski urged residents to take a step back and to remember that those “totals” are real people – not just statistics or numbers on a page.
Nerwinski said there are 67 Lawrence Township residents who are fighting the virus, and the families of three residents who are mourning their loss of a loved one. He urged residents to be compassionate and empathetic to others.
“Those testing positive are people who are most likely terrified to have contracted this deadly virus, and who can’t receive comfort from others to get them through this because they must be isolated from everyone,” Nerwinski wrote. “Those that have died from the virus are someone’s mother, father, brother, sister, co-worker or fellow resident. They were people who were trying to live their best life before this virus took over our world, and took their lives.”
The number of Lawrence Township residents who have been sickened by COVID-19 has risen from two residents, whose positive test results were reported on March 15, to 66 residents as of April 12, according to Mercer County officials.
An additional resident whose test results were positive for COVID-19 was added to the list on April 13, making it 67 Lawrence Township residents who have contracted the illness, officials said.
More positive results for COVID-19 will be reported county-wide, because Mercer County has opened an appointment-only, drive-through testing center in a parking lot at the Quaker Bridge Mall in Lawrence Township. A physician’s prescription is necessary to be tested.
The testing site, which is restricted to Mercer County residents who have shown symptoms of COVID-19, is a collaborative effort between Mercer County and several Mercer County hospitals. It opened March 31. The turnaround time for test results is 48 to 72 hours.
Lawrence Township residents who have contracted COVID-19 may obtain the prescription drug combination of hydroxychloroquine sulfate and the antibiotic Zithromax to treat their symptoms through the Greenhill Pharmacy in East Windsor Township.
The drug combination is available to all Mercer County residents whose physician has prescribed it for them. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued an emergency-use authorization for the drug combination to treat and mitigate the effects of COVID-19.