For the first time in almost five months, the Princeton Medical Center has no COVID-19 patients (updated)

For the first time since March 16, the Princeton Medical Center in Plainsboro does not have any COVID-19 patients. The hospital has treated more than 500 COVID-19 inpatients since March.

A member of the Princeton area community Facebook group moderated by Planet Princeton mentioned the milestone yesterday. A spokesman for Penn Medicine confirmed the good news on Thursday that there are no COVID-19 patients at the hospital.

“Reaching zero COVID-19 positive inpatients for the first time in five months is a wonderful milestone. Our staff and providers have done a remarkable job throughout this pandemic, and I am sure they feel a sense of relief that we have seen so much progress since the peak in April,” said Barry Rabner, president and CEO of Penn Medicine Princeton Health. “Members of our community have done their part, too, by following the expert advice, practicing social distancing, and wearing a mask in public spaces. We need everyone to keep it up. This is not over. At the hospital, and across Princeton Health, we implemented comprehensive precautions to safeguard our patients, visitors, and staff, and those will remain in place for the foreseeable future. Meanwhile, we are preparing for a resurgence that we hope will never come.” 

According to data from the New Jersey Department of Health, 545 people are currently hospitalized in facilities in the state as a result of complications from COVID-19, with 259 hospitalizations in the northern part of the state, 135 in the central region, and 151 in the southern part of the state. Twenty-eight people are on ventilators, and 103 people are in intensive care.

The state has received a total of 186,594 confirmed COVID-19 positive test results since the pandemic hit New Jersey in early March. At least 14,054 residents of the state have died as a result of complications from COVID-19, and another 1,839 deaths are suspected to have been related to COVID-19.

In Mercer County, another 25 new positive COVID-19 test results were received by the state on Thursday. More than 8,160 people in the county have tested positive for COVID-19. At least 583 residents of Mercer County have died as a result of complications from COVID-19, and another 39 deaths are suspected to have been related to COVID-19.