The number of East Windsor residents who have tested positive for COVID-19 has continued its upward climb, based on results released by the New Jersey Department of Health.
In East Windsor, 460 residents were confirmed to have the disease as of May 5, officials said. This compares to 311 residents on April 21. The daily number of new cases has ranged from 3 cases to 21 cases, between April 21 and May 5.
Those 460 East Windsor residents are among the 4,986 Mercer County residents who tested positive for COVID-19 as of May 7. Municipal data lags behind state data.
With the exception of the deaths of six residents at the Meadow Lakes retirement community, it is not known how many of the 313 Mercer County residents who had died of COVID-19 through May 7 lived in East Windsor.
The six residents are among the 44 residents and staff members at Meadow Lakes who have tested positive for COVID-19 as of May 6, the New Jersey Department of Health reported.
The New Jersey Department of Health has begun to release the number of positive tests for COVID-19 and the number of deaths that are suspected to be related to COVID-19 that have occurred in long-term care facilities.
A note on the New Jersey Department of Health’s website qualifies the number of reported deaths in those facilities.
“All deaths may not be laboratory confirmed. The cases are self-reported by facilities at a point in time and may not reflect real-time data,” the note said.
The New Jersey Department of Health reported that 513 long-term care facilities in the state had experienced outbreaks of COVID-19 through May 6, including 22 facilities in Mercer County.
The total number of deaths in long-term care facilities was 4,556 people statewide – including 207 fatalities in Mercer County – as of May 6, officials said.
In response to COVID-19 concerns, Meadow Lakes banned non-essential visitors last month. Staff members and essential employees are screened for signs and symptoms of COVID-19, which includes taking their temperature with a no-touch thermometer and asking about symptoms or potential exposure.
Meadow Lakes has banned congregate dining in the dining room, so residents take their meals in their apartment or room. All common areas and shared facilities are cleaned and disinfected twice per day. Personal protective equipment is provided to employees who provide direct care to residents, according to officials.
Residents’ apartments are entered only for emergency medical, maintenance or sanitation purposes. Social visits by employees and routine maintenance and housekeeping services have been eliminated.
Meadow Lakes is operated by Springpoint Senior Living, formerly known as Presbyterian Homes of New Jersey.