New Jersey’s battle to blunt the impact of COVID-19 is more complicated now that state officials have traced a half-dozen cases — including three deaths — to people in senior residences, facilities that shelter some of the most vulnerable citizens.
State officials announced the connection to elder-care facilities Thursday during their daily press briefing, which revealed an additional 318 cases of COVID-19 diagnosed overnight and four more deaths. Three of those fatalities involved residents at two nursing homes, in Essex and Hudson counties. (New Jersey now has 742 positive cases in all — ranging in age from three to 95 — nine of whom have died.)
Posted: March 20th, 2020 | Author:Art Gallagher | Filed under:News | Tags:COVID-19, NJ Spotlight, Nursing homes | Comments Off on Another Front Opens in Battle Against COVID-19: NJ’s Senior Residences, Nursing Homes
Gov. Murphy postpones many elections, calls for mail-in balloting; his executive order will affect 34 separate elections in municipalities with close to 730,000 registered voters
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy yesterday postponed upcoming local and school board elections until May 12 and ordered that all elections on that date be conducted completely by mail-in balloting to help stem the spread of COVID-19.
The only change Murphy ordered so far affecting the June primary is allowing candidates to file their nominating petitions online, but he didn’t rule out the possibility of having that election conducted by mail statewide if necessary.
“We have no timetable to make any assessment on the June 2 election, but obviously it’s at the top of mind,” Murphy said during his daily briefing on the pandemic. “If we need to act and adjust that in any way, we will do so on a timely basis.”
The NJ Department of Health is reporting 32 positive cases of COVID-19 as of 9 a.m. this morning, Freeholder Director Tom Arnone and Deputy Director Sue Kiley announced.
“We are getting information out to you as quickly as possible while also keeping in constant communication with State, County, local and health officials,” said Freeholder Director Thomas A. Arnone. “We are asking all residents to do their part to help limit the spread of COVID-19. Please remember that the best defense against COVID-19 is to practice safe respiratory hygiene and take steps to prevent the spread of germs including practicing social distancing, staying home when sick, washing hands and covering coughs and sneezes.”
Don’t drive to the PNC Arts Center on the Garden State Arts Center in Holmdel looking to get tested for COVID-19 just yet. You’ll be in the way and delay the set up of the coming testing site.
Friends: please do not drive to the PNC @declanoscanlon & I met with the agencies involved to discuss We will let you know when it’s open, what the criteria is to be tested. FYI, there will definitely be criteria & you will be turned away if you do not meet it. Stay safe & well pic.twitter.com/YbuIFCbwei
Governor Phil Murphy, the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management, the New Jersey Department of Health, and the United Ways of New Jersey announced today that NJ 211 has been activated to help handle COVID-19 related calls from New Jersey residents.
All residents with questions or concerns about COVID-19 and resources available to them can call 2-1-1. NJ 211 is New Jersey’s statewide, comprehensive, information and referral service operated by United Ways of New Jersey.Read the rest of this entry »
Stating that New Jersey faces a potential hospital bed shortage of anywhere from 123,000 to 313,000 sometime between May and October, and that there could be a critical care bed shortage of 2000 within the next two weeks, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy wrote to President Donald Trump on Tuesday to request that the federal government provide Military and U.S. Army Corp of Engineers assistance in expanding the state’s hospital and intensive care unit capacity.
Murphy wrote that failing to expand NJ’s medical capacity could results in medical professionals being “forced the make the agonizing decisions the world has seen in Northern Italy–they will have no choice but to deny lifesaving care, including ventilators to those in need of it.”
MIDDLETOWN, NJ –At Monday’s Middletown Township Committee meeting, Mayor Tony Perry declared a State of Local Disaster Emergency within Middletown to help mitigate the evolving COVID-19 health situation.
“The health and safety of this community is our top priority,” said Mayor Perry. “It is crucial that we find ways to encourage fellow citizens to practice social distancing to help contain the spread of this disease. We are implementing these measures because it is imperative that our residents understand the gravity of the situation.” Read the rest of this entry »
MMM publisher Art Gallagher will be Tommy G’s guest on this afternoon, 4:05 PM, on the best afternoon drive time radio show in New Jersey.
Tommy and Art will, of course, be discussing COVID-19, and our various governments’ response to the crisis.
The Tommy G Show is broadcast Monday through Friday from 3pm – 6pm in Central New Jersey on 1450 AM WCTC, on the Internet by clicking this link , on iHeartRadio, and via the TuneIn app on your smartphone.
New Jersey’s battle to blunt the impact of COVID-19 is more complicated now that state officials have traced a half-dozen cases — including three deaths — to people in senior residences, facilities that shelter some of the most vulnerable citizens.
