Trenton N.J. – The City of Trenton (the City) today released a 36-page report titled “COVID-19 Trenton Testing Status Report,” which outlines the Gusciora administration’s strategy to reduce the spread of COVID-19. The comprehensive report includes statistical data on the scope of testing, as well as the city’s fatality rate.
Trenton has experienced a substantially lower fatality rate than other New Jersey cities since Gov. Murphy declared a state of emergency in March, according to Mayor W. Reed Gusciora. “None of this would have been possible without the support of our governmental partners and those who donated supplies,” he noted, praising partnerships with Mercer County, the State of New Jersey, the Trenton Health Team, the Henry J. Austin Health Center, Capital Health, and St. Francis Medical Center.
Trenton Fire Director Derrick Sawyer, who has served as the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) Coordinator during the pandemic, expressed deep gratitude for his Emergency Management team. “I would like to thank our City directors for procuring tests, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and sites for mobile testing,” said Sawyer. During its response, the City has operated four rotating testing sites (one in a different ward each day), and is now also operating a joint testing site with Mercer County and the State of New Jersey. Additionally, the City secured 328,984 masks, which were distributed to residents and Trenton health care workers.
As of June 4, 2020, the City had 2,529 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 103 deaths due to the pandemic, which is a 2.8% fatality rate (when adjusted for the death of City residents under State supervision, the City’s fatality rate is 4.0%). In comparison, the State of New Jersey had 162,530 residents test positive and 11,970 confirmed deaths due to COVID-19, a 7.4% fatality rate. The report details how the City’s Emergency Management team, led by Director Sawyer and Mayor Gusciora, coordinated testing residents and obtaining PPEs, which proved critical to the City’s response.
Mayor Gusciora added, “The City originally prioritized symptomatic residents per the CDC’s guidelines, tested first responders who were symptomatic, and proceeded to expand testing to others as more tests became available. We are proud of our substantially lower fatality rate, but more importantly, we want residents to know that we’re continuing to explore ways to distribute PPE, administer tests, and support the health and well-being of our community.”
The report is available on the city’s website at www.trentonnj.org/covid19report
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Media Contact:
Michael Walker
Acting Public Information Officer
Office of the Mayor W. Reed Gusciora
City Hall
319 E. State Street
Trenton, NJ 08608
Direct: (609) 989-3047
Cell Phone: (609) 789-7272
E-mail: mwalker@trentonnj.org