coronavirus

Mercer County reports 40 positive COVID-19 cases as of March 22

The number of positive COVID-19 cases in Mercer County has risen to 40, the New Jersey Department of Health announced March 22.

Information gathering is under way on new cases and is continuing on the remaining ones where needed, county officials said, adding that the number of cases is expected to grow as more testing sites are established.

The county total includes seven cases in Princeton, five cases in Hamilton Township. four cases in West Windsor and two cases in Lawrence Township. One positive case each was listed in Trenton, Hightstown, Hopewell Township and Robbinsville.

There have been no reported cases of COVID-19 in East Windsor, Hopewell Borough, Pennington and Ewing Township.

In Princeton, six of the seven cases have been tied to a party that occurred in town on Feb. 29. The six people who have tested positive for COVID-19 either attended the party or were a close contact of a party attendee, according to county officials.

Two Massachusetts residents attended the party and tested positive for COVID-19 when they returned home. Those individuals had earlier attended the Biogen conference in Boston, which has been linked to the spread of COVID-19, according to county officials.

The seventh Princeton resident who tested positive for COVID-19 had recently returned from a trip to Spain. That person went into isolation upon returning to the United States and developed symptoms while in isolation, according to county officials.

A teacher at the Riverside Elementary School in Princeton tested positive for COVID-19 and was hospitalized. The teacher does not live in Princeton, but school district administrators were notified of the test results.

In Lawrence Township, two members of the same family tested positive for COVID-19.

A Hopewell Township resident who teaches at the Timberlane Middle School in the Hopewell Valley Regional School District tested positive for the illness.

In West Windsor, one of the four persons who tested positive for COVID-19 had attended the New Jersey Athletic Club, Quakerbridge Road, Lawrence Township.

The West Windsor Township Health Department said the person attended the athletic club between 4-7:30 p.m. March 9, 11 and 12. Gym management is notifying members directly.

Information about the remaining Mercer County residents who tested positive for COVID-19 was not available.