Two elderly Princeton men, both of whom had preexisting medical conditions, have died of COVID-19, the Princeton Health Department announced on April 27.
Their deaths mark the seventh and eighth deaths of Princeton residents who have succumbed to COVID-19 since the first death was announced on April 2, officials said.
One man whose death was announced April 27 was in his 70s, and the second man was in his 80s, officials said. Neither man was living in a long term care facility.
“Princeton extends our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of the residents, as well as all who have been affected by this outbreak,” Princeton Health Officer Jeffrey Grosser said.
The first reported death in Princeton was of a 92-year-old woman who may have been exposed to the disease by a home health aide, officials said.
Four men who were residents of the Princeton Care Center on Bunn Drive also died of COVID-19, as did a 74-year-old woman who was living at the Acorn Glen assisted living facility on Mount Lucas Road. Her death was also announced April 27.
The eight men and women are among the 110 Princeton residents who had tested positive for COVID-19 as of April 27, officials said. Between April 20 and 27, 27 more Princeton residents had tested positive for the disease. There were 83 people who had tested positive for the novel coronavirus on April 20.
In Mercer County, 3,605 residents have tested positive for COVID-19 as of April 28. This is an increase of 1,014 residents who have tested positive for the disease since April 20, when 2,591 people had tested positive.
Also between April 20 and 28, the number of Mercer County residents who died of COVID-19 grew from 122 people to 212 people, officials said. This is an increase of 90 people.
Mercer County officials said the number of persons testing positive for COVID-19 is expected to grow as more testing sites open up – in Mercer County and statewide.
One of those testing sites is a drive-through testing site that opened March 31 in a parking lot at the Quaker Bridge Mall in Lawrence Township. It is a cooperative effort between Mercer County and several Mercer County hospitals.
It is restricted to Mercer County residents who are showing symptoms of COVID-19 and who have a prescription for the test. The results are available between 48 hours and 72 hours after the test has been taken.