State to Reopen Woodbury Hospital and Others to Help with Coronavirus Surge

By LILO H. STAINTON , NJ Spotlight

New Jersey health officials plan to expand hospital capacity by nearly 800 beds in the coming weeks to help prepare for a likely patient surge related to the growing coronavirus epidemic and to keep cases of the resulting COVID-19 disease from overwhelming the state’s health care system.

State Department of Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli announced Wednesday that work was underway to immediately add a total of 260 beds at three acute care hospitals that had recently downsized; while the DOH did not provide specifics, she said 199 beds would be at a north Jersey facility, 11 in central Jersey and 50 in the state’s southern region. Capacity for another 227 patients would be added in the weeks to come, she said.

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How to avoid or repair cracked skin from washing your hands constantly

photo via peoplespharmacy.com

Everyone should know by now: Wash your hands, wash your hands and keep washing your hands to help combat coronavirus.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends doing so for at least 20 seconds each time. Effective, yes, but all that hand-washing can come at a cost: dry, cracked skin.

Alcohol-based formulas and harsh soaps dry out skin after a period of time and can make existing skin conditions worse by stripping the skin of its natural oils, according to the American Skin Association.The right products can make all the difference.As first reported by Yahoo Lifestyle, dermatologis… Read the rest of this entry »

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Middletown Senior Housing Resident Tests Positive For COVID-19

A resident of Tomaso Towers, an affordable high-rise senior citizen development managed by the Middletown Housing Authority, has tested positive for COVID-19, according to an announcement by the Township.

The resident is currently hospitalized.  All close contacts have been contacted by the Middletown Health Department. Read the rest of this entry »

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Coronavirus: 11 psychological reasons why we hoard toilet paper in a crisis

As the COVID-19 pandemic rages, frantic shoppers everywhere are stocking up for the long road ahead. Canned goods, hand sanitizer, cleaning products, bottled water are all hot-ticket items.

But there is perhaps nothing in so high demand as toilet paper.Turns out the sudden, desperate need to have ALL THE TOILET PAPER regardless of actual need is one of the unlikely consequences of the very things that make humans human.

To discover why we tend to hoard a product we don’t actually need to survive in tough times, Inverse spoke to seven experts from across the fields of marketing and business, psycho… Read the rest of this entry »

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N.J. distillery switches from making spirits to sanitizers during coronavirus outbreak

You won’t want to drink what Claremont Distillery is brewing this week. Instead of its usual menu of vodka, bourbon and moonshine, the Fairfield distillery is hard at work making gallons of hand sanitizer to offset supply shortages during the coronavirus pandemic.

Tim Koether, the owner, said the motivation behind the switch from spirits to sanitizer was simple.“My wife couldn’t find any, and she was getting all panicked,” Koether told NJ Advance Media. Helping out his wife gave him the chance to help the larger community, and the decision became a no-brainer. “It’s like to me, it just seems like… Read the rest of this entry »

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County Clerk Hanlon Creates Web Portal For COVID-19 Information

Monmouth County Clerk Christine Giordano Hanlon

Monmouth County Clerk Christine Giordano Hanlon has created a webpage with links to official government notifications, federal, state, county and local, relating to closures, curfews, and updates about government operations in Monmouth County due to the rapidly evolving COVID-19 situation. This page will help Monmouth County residents navigate the days ahead with up to date news and information from the municipal, county and state levels of government.

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Rep Chris Smith is supporting County Governments’ Work To Thwart The Spread of COVID-19

Congressman Chris Smith working in his Hamilton office

Monmouth County Freeholders Sue Kiley and Nick DiRocco, joined by County Administrator Teri O’Connor, briefed Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) on the work being done in Monmouth to stop the spread of the novel Coronavirus, as well as to help County residents deal with the stressors the pandemic may bring.

Smith said that though the County is limiting visitors to all offices, all golf courses, parks and open spaces remain open and may offer needed respite. The Freeholders also discuss the testing, screening and tracing being done, and also briefed the congressman on the bank of volunteers who are answering calls at the Monmouth County Health Department.

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Statement by Freeholder Director Tom Arnone and Deputy Director Sue Kiley on COVID-19

Monmouth County Freeholder Director Tom Arnone

In this unprecedented time of uncertainty, as we are all dealing with COVID-19, we wanted to let each and every one of you know that we are working around the clock to respond to and mitigate this developing situation.

Most of our day is spent on the phone or in meetings with County Administration, Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden, State and local officials, hospitals, emergency services responders and even small business owners who are all feeling the effects of this health pandemic. Read the rest of this entry »

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Congressman Chris Smith Is Assisting CD-4 Public Health Officials

Congressman Chris Smith in his Freehold district office

Freehold Township, NJ —Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) continues reaching out to public health officials in his district including Dan Regenye, Ocean County Public Health Coordinator to offer “absolutely any advocacy and assistance necessary on the federal level” to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

            Smith said Regenye briefed him on the “mutually reinforcing aggressive steps” Ocean County has undertaken including the push to identify and test at-risk people, school closing and need for students during closures to adhere to “social distancing—no parties or sleepovers” and the need for personal protective equipment (PPE), especially for health workers and first responders.

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The tumor Murphy had removed was cancerous, governor’s office says

The tumor Gov. Phil Murphy had surgically removed from his kidney earlier this month was deemed to be cancerous, his office told NJ Advance Media.

Tests showed it is clear cell renal cell cancer, the governor’s office said. It’s not surprising news given there was more than a 90 percent chance ahead of surgery that it would be malignant.

People with kidney cancer that has not spread beyond the organ have a 93 percent chance of surviving at the five-year mark. Murphy isn’t expected to undergo any further treatment at this time other than having bloodwork done in three months and a CT scan in six mon… Read the rest of this entry »

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