New Jersey hasn’t yet been able to model an anticipated surge in demand for hospital capacity for COVID-19 patients because it doesn’t have data on the effects of social distancing, but there are signs that hospitals will be able to cope, according to the state’s Commissioner of Health, Judith Persichilli.
The state’s health officials have been using CHIME, a tool for COVID-19 hospital capacity planning, which Penn Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania issued in mid-March. The tool, which has been made available to health care providers in 150 countries via open-source software, allows users to input data including the percentage of infected patients who have been hospitalized; the number of patients currently hospitalized, and the population a hospital system serves.
The resulting model also relies on the degree to which social distancing has reduced social contact, and that data wasn’t yet available, Persichilli said at Gov. Phil Murphy’s Friday briefing on the pandemic.
Red Bank Mayor Pasquale “Pat” Menna posted on facebook Saturday night that he walked himself into Riverview Medical Center on Wednesday for a preexisting medical condition and that he has not been treated in the Intensive Care Unit. He dated the post which appeared about 10 p.m., “Friday evening.”
Medical-grade gloves before release by Customs and Border Protection. photo courtesy of Ansell
Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ4) became aware on Monday that 41.3 million medical-grade gloves owned by Iselin based Ansell had been held by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) since last September.
Twenty-four hours later, after dozens of phone calls from Rep. Smith to numerous federal officials, CBP released the gloves which are now being distributed to medical professionals and first responders throughout the United States.
TRENTON – The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) Board today approved a suite of new programs designed to support businesses and workers facing economic hardship due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus COVID-19.
Senator Declan O’Scanlon said that the Governor’s Office told him that computer repair shops are considered essential and that they are allowed to open in the current COVID-19 shutdown.
Governor Phil Murphy issued an Executive Order today which requires all New Jersey child care centers to certify that they are serving only the families of essential workers or close.
The certification is due on Friday, March 27. Centers that do not certify that can and will solely care for the children of essential workers must close by Wednesday, April 1.
Assembly Members Gerry Scharfenberger, Serena DiMaso and Senator Declan O’Scanlon
District 13 legislators, Senator Declan O’Scanlon and Assembly Members Serena DiMaso and Gerry Scharfenberger want Governor Murphy to amend the types of businesses allowed to operate during the COVID-19 shutdown to include gun dealers, car dealers and computer repair shops.
