Murphy’s April 10 COVID-19 briefing, 10:30 a.m.

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N.J. hospitals should be able to handle peak surge of coronavirus patients expected this weekend, officials say

New Jersey hospitals have been able to double the number of “critical care” beds from nearly 2,000 to 4,000 in recent weeks, state Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said Thursday, adding that the state projectsthe peak number of coronavirus patients who need hospital care could hit as early as Saturday.

In the past month, New Jersey’s 71 acute-care hospitals responded to the Persichilli’s urgent call for help by adding about 60 percent more beds to the existing 23,000 beds in the state by commandeering space wherever they could find it, Kerry McKean Kelly, spokeswoman for the New Jersey Hos… Read the rest of this entry »

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Golden: Our veterans deserve better

Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden is upset about the care that military veterans are getting and and the attention that the media is giving to the plight of inmates in State and County prisons compared to the sparse coverage the media is giving convalescing vets in state run homes.

“This is shameful,” Golden said of reports that the high rate of mortality at New Jersey’s veterans homes since the COVID-19 pandemic broke. “We hear more about our inmates than our veterans. Everyday I receive calls from reporters on the status of inmates and there is blanket coverage on those in the jail, yet there’s sparse coverage on our veterans.”

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N.J.’s 3 veterans homes have 58 residents with coronavirus, 14 deaths. Combat medics sent to help.

New Jersey’s veterans memorial homes have also been “severely impacted” by the still-growing coronavirus outbreak, the state’s top health official said Wednesday.

The state has three living facilities for military veterans — in Paramus, Edison, and Vineland. As of Thursday afternoon, 58 residents have tested positive for COVID-19 and 14 have died from it, state Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said.

The Paramus home has been hit particularly hard, with 40 confirmed cases, five residents hospitalized, and 10 deaths from COVID-19, Persichilli said.She added that the homes have had “staffing is… Read the rest of this entry »

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Laid-off Employees Scramble for New Health Coverage in COVID-19 Pandemic

State officials, nonprofit leaders offer advice on where to turn as, with businesses shutting down, thousands lose insurance along with jobs

By Jon Hurdle, NJSpotlight

Many thousands of New Jerseyans have lost their employer-paid health insurance as businesses across the state have closed their doors in the COVID-19 pandemic, and now employees are scrambling for coverage through Obamacare or Medicaid.

State officials and nonprofit leaders offered advice on Wednesday on how to sign up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or Medicaid, and on where to turn if you are among the estimated 500,000 people who were uninsured even before the coronavirus hit.

Some 70% of New Jersey employees get their health insurance through their employer, and so loss of a job often means loss of health coverage, said Maura Collinsgru, health care program director for New Jersey Citizen Action, a liberal advocacy group that provides direct services to low- and moderate- income people.

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Freehold company is disinfecting emergency vehicles for free

All American Restoration, a Freehold based mold remediation and environmental cleanup company, is using its science and technology to keep Monmouth County first responders safe from COVID-19.

Last weekend the the company disinfected police cars and ambulances in Red Bank, Little Silver and Hazlet, in an effort to prevent first responders from being infected by the corona virus via surface transfer in their vehicles.

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Mortgage Help During COVID-19 Crisis, But What About Property Taxes?

Without relief, property owners hit hard by illness or income loss will have to cover payments due May 1 or incur penalties

By JOHN REITMEYER , NJSpotlight

To ease the economic pain of the coronavirus pandemic, New Jersey homeowners have been granted mortgage relief from banks and a reprieve from evictions. But no such help has been approved thus far from local property tax bills.

That means many homeowners who are dealing with economic hardships caused by severe illness, the loss of a job or a shuttered business are also being forced to cover quarterly property tax payments by a state-imposed May 1 deadline.

Potentially making matters worse for thousands of New Jersey homeowners is the state’s recent freezing of all funding for the next installment of Homestead property-tax relief benefits. They were supposed to be paid out by the state as direct credits to effectively reduce those May quarterly bills, but Trenton is facing its own economic shortfalls.

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New Jersey coronavirus death toll now at 1,232. Total cases rise to 44,416 with 3K new positive tests.

New Jersey officials reported the coronavirus death toll has increased to 1,232 and total cases in the state have hit 44,416 on Tuesday with 3,361 new positive tests in the last 24 hours and the projected peak for the state still likely weeks away.

“It’s almost unfathomable when you think about it — 1,232 lost lives,” Gov. Phil Murphy said during his daily coronavirus press briefing Tuesday afternoon. The numbers included 232 new deaths – the highest single-day increase during the outbreak. Officials said 10% of the fatalities have been residents of long-term care facilities.“We honor their legac… Read the rest of this entry »

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Muprhy Closes All State And County Parks

Governor Phil Murphy announced that he is ordering all State and County parks in New Jersey in response to the COVID-19 crisis.

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Governor Muphy’s April 7 COVID-19 Briefing

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