New Jersey - Coronavirus COVID-19

[cass523]

As of April 8, there were 47,437 reported cases in the state, including 3,088 additional cases disclosed Wednesday.

New Jersey has completed a total of 84,768 tests with 43.44% of the tests coming back positive as of Tuesday, state Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said.

Although the number of cases is rising, Murphy said Monday that the state is seeing a decline in the growth rate of new coronavirus cases from 24% day-over-day to 12%.

Longterm care facilities continue to be a big concern for New Jersey. Of the 375 longterm care facilities in the state, 188 have confirmed at least one coronavirus case, Persichilli said.

In New Jersey’s nursing homes, an unseen crisis has erupted that threatens the lives of elderly residents and the staff members who care for them, fuels the spread of coronavirus in the community and floods already overloaded hospitals with even more patients.

In New Jersey, more than 7,017 patients are hospitalized with coronavirus, Persichilli said Tuesday. Of those patients,1,651 are in intensive care units and 94 percent were on ventilators.

There have been 1,504 deaths related to coronavirus in New Jersey. Officials reported 275 new deaths Wednesday.

Here's a list of all of the coronavirus testing sites in New Jersey.

Over 1,500 people have died from coronavirus complications in NJ, cases rise to 47,437

Coronavirus response: Where you can donate supplies, and first responders who need help

 

[cass523]

LAKEWOOD – Two community health centers received millions in federal funds to fight the spread of COVID-19, U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, R-4, announced.

Ocean Health Initiatives, located on Second Avenue, will receive $1.18 million and the Lakewood Resource and Referral Center, on Madison Avenue, will receive $1.28 million, Smith said.

The funding was included in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and. Economic Security Act, or CARES Act, a $2 trillion stimulus bill passed by Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump at the end of March.

“Helping community health centers, which are at the heart of the coronavirus outbreak across America, must be a top priority,” Smith said in a statement. “The health centers need to be in a strong position as we head into next week and the expected peak of the outbreak in New Jersey."

Another $4.2 million was awarded to local governments in Monmouth and Ocean Counties last week from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's community development block grants program, earmarked for "COVID-19 Recovery," Smith said.

Those awards included:

• Monmouth County: $2.3 million, including $753,000 in emergency shelter grant funding
• Ocean County: $821,000
• Lakewood: $835,784
• Middletown: $156,171

“Other sites in or serving the Fourth Congressional District and other areas in the state that are getting federal money for their ongoing operations are in true need of this assistance, which couldn’t come at a better time,” Smith said. “We are not though with this yet. More help is needed, and more help is on the way.”

There are nearly 398,000 cases of coronavirus in the United States, and 12,956 people have died from the disease.

New Jersey has over 47,000 coronavirus cases, second-most in the United States, and over 1,200 coronavirus-related deaths.

Coronavirus in NJ: Lakewood health centers get $2M in federal aid to fight COVID-19

 

[cass523]

Ocean County Fair officials announced Wednesday that the 2020 event — a celebration of agriculture that attracts thousands of visitors from across the region — would be canceled.

"It is with heavy heart that we announce the July 8th 2020 Ocean County Fair is CANCELED," organizers wrote in a Facebook post. "Rutgers Cooperative Extension/4H has put a hold on all 4H activities through August. 4H is such a strong partner of the fair that we cannot see a way forward without them this year."

The fair has been held in the county since 1947, according to the event's website. By 1967, the fair was extended from one to three days and attracted thousands of attendees. Since 1982, the fair has been held at Robert Miller Airpark in Berkeley Township, where it remains.

Coronavirus in NJ: Ocean County Fair canceled

MIDDLETOWN - The National Park Service has temporarily shut down Sandy Hook, effective today, according to an announcement on its website.

"Effective immediately, Sandy Hook will be closed to all park visitors until further notice,'' the park service said in a news release issued today.

The park was closed in response to guidance from the New Jersey Health Department, the news release said.

Coronavirus NJ: Sandy Hook is latest beach to close

Coronavirus in NJ: Full list of Monmouth, Ocean beach and boardwalk closures

The Oceanport racetrack announced on Wednesday that it will now begin racing on July 4, rather than the May 23 date it shifted to last month. Originally, Monmouth Park was scheduled to open on May 2.

The new racing calendar calls for Monmouth Park to run 36 days through Sept. 27, instead of the original 56 days. But the track appears poised to use the purse money from the lost days to boost average daily purses significantly higher than the average of around $400,000-per-day last year.

Monmouth Park opening day now set for July 4 due to coronavirus; Will run 36 days, not 56

 

[cass523]

New Jersey will delay its primary election five weeks to July 7 in a continued effort to reduce crowds, and lines at polling places, that could leave residents exposed to coronavirus.

Voters were set to cast their ballots for president and the Garden State's congressional delegation on June 2 until Gov. Phil Murphy announced the executive order on Wednesday. He signaled the delay to July 7 would allow voting to happen in person, but said the election could be changed at a later date to vote-by-mail only if the coronavirus crisis is ongoing.

Gov. Murphy pushes NJ primary election to July due to coronavirus crisis

 

[cass523]

Nursing Homes

Residents at one nursing home cry in their rooms, vulnerable and afraid. Aides at another tape plastic sheets to their glasses as face shields, while protective gear is locked away. At a third, a nurse declares "I've been exposed. My family is exposed. My coworkers are sick and dying."

An unseen crisis has erupted in New Jersey’s nursing homes that threatens the lives of elderly residents and the staff members who care for them, fuels the spread of coronavirus in the community and floods already overloaded hospitals with even more patients.

Frontline staff at long-term care centers say they have been forced to work without proper protective gear, compelled to come to work sick or risk termination, and punished for speaking out. They say they have become unknowing carriers of the virus, bringing it back home and fostering its invisible spread.

Long under-funded, short-staffed and reliant on a low-wage work force, these institutions now harbor dozens of clusters of coronavirus illness around the state. Like smoldering embers, they have the potential both to fuel the epidemic and reignite it whenever attention is turned elsewhere.

An unseen crisis: Coronavirus deaths mount at NJ nursing homes as virus spreads, staff dwindles

Mayor seeks state investigation into 22 deaths, including 12 confirmed from coronavirus, at nursing home

 

[cass523]

The number of newly-reported positive COVID-19 cases rose by 268 in Monmouth County and 215 in Ocean County, the state reported Wednesday.

And both counties logged more than a dozen additional deaths: 15 in Monmouth County and 16 in Ocean County.

Coronavirus in NJ: 268 new cases in Monmouth County, 215 in Ocean County

The numbers included another 275 deaths - the highest single day increase since the outbreak. The total death toll is higher than the number of New Jersey residents - 1,487 - killed during the Vietnam War.

Murphy said many of the deaths announced Wednesday are likely people who were infected weeks ago, just as the state started to implement strict social distancing rules. He said he would be more likely to tighten rules further.

“It’s going to take time to reopen our state in a systematic and careful way to protect against a boomeranging of the coronavirus If we open up too soon, we are placing gasoline on the fire,” Murphy said.

Of the new deaths, 59% were male and 41% female. The age range breakdown for the fatalities includes:

• 1% under 30,
• 4% ages 30-49,
• 17% ages 50-64,
• 33% ages 65-79,
• 44% over 80.

To date, 52,979 have tested negative for coronavirus.

Murphy said Monday that New Jersey could see a peak surge in cases between April 19 and May 11, while the peak number of hospitalizations could come between April 10 and April 28. Officials said under a best-case scenario, the state’s total number of cases would peak at 86,000.

N.J. coronavirus deaths increase to 1,504 with 47,437 total cases. Another 3K new positive tests announced.

 

[cass523]

Gov. Phil Murphy has required all store employees and shoppers to wear face masks to help fight the coronavirus outbreak until further notice and has limited customers in stores to a max of 50% of the store’s capacity.

The governor announced Wednesday he signed a new executive order to enforce the rule.

“Customers and employees must wear face coverings,” Murphy said in Trenton at a daily briefing on the pandemic. “All essential retail must indefinitely limit the number of customers in their stores to 50% of their approved capacity.”

N.J. supermarkets, stores must limit customers to 50% of capacity, all inside must wear masks under new coronavirus restriction

N.J. orders all non-essential construction to stop in latest coronavirus lockdown restriction

 

[JrzyGirl70]

Non-Essential Construction to stop Friday April 10th by 8:00pm

Non-essential construction sites must close down by Friday, Murphy says

 

[JrzyGirl70]

Estimated Peak in NJ will be April 11th..

NJ Coronavirus Peak Is Likely Soon, New Projection Shows

 

[realanastasia]

A great first-person account of getting tested at one of the state’s MVC sites:

One of NJ.com’s reporters got sent for a coronavirus test. This is her story of the lonely, anxious ordeal.

 

[PommyMommy]

New Jersey governor will sign executive order that may allow some inmates to be released

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced he is signing an executive order allowing the possible release of some low-risk, vulnerable inmates in the prison system in the wake of the pandemic.

Under this order, low-risk inmates whose age or health status puts them at risk, who have been denied parole within the last year or whose sentences are set to expire in the next three months “may be” – and he stresses “may be” – placed on temporary home confinement or granted parole if already eligible, through an expedited process, Murphy said.

No one convicted of a serious crime, such as murder or sex assault, will be eligible for consideration, he said.

[...]

Coronavirus pandemic: Live updates - CNN

 

[JerseyGirl]

N.J. now has 54,588 coronavirus cases with 1,932 deaths. Officials report 3,627 new cases and 233 new fatalities.

Officials say the state is likely to see the peak number of hospitalizations from the virus in the coming days — with about 14,4000 people with the virus hospitalizes and 2,800 in critical care.

State Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said officials believe the state will be able to handle the surge as hospitals and other facilities add more patient beds.

Separately, officials say the peak number of cases in the state is predicted to come between April 19 and May 11, and it could be between 86,000 and 509,000 cases.

The latest county-by-county breakdown of confirmed cases as of Friday morning:

Department of Health | Communicable Disease Service | New Jersey COVID-19 Dashboard

• Bergen County: 8,928 cases, with 390 deaths
• Essex County: 6,580 cases, with 352 deaths
• Hudson County: 6,411 cases, with 163 deaths
• Union County: 5,575 cases, with 161 deaths
• Middlesex County: 5,060 cases, with 168 deaths
• Passaic County: 5,017 cases, with 101 deaths
• Monmouth County: 3,496 cases, with 107 deaths
• Ocean County: 3,269 cases, with 121 deaths
• Morris County: 2,771 cases, with 135 deaths
• Somerset County: 1,523 cases, with 69 deaths
• Mercer County: 1,282 cases, with 39 deaths
• Camden County: 1,072 cases, with 29 deaths
• Burlington County: 954 cases, with 22 deaths
• Gloucester County: 447 cases, with 8 deaths
• Sussex County: 413 cases, with 26 deaths
• Warren County: 337 cases, with 15 deaths
• Hunterdon County: 293 cases, with 7 deaths
• Atlantic County: 211 cases, with 6 deaths
• Cumberland County: 138 cases, with 3 deaths
• Cape May County: 116 cases, with 5 deaths
• Salem County: 46 cases, with 3 deaths

Of the 233 new deaths that were reported Friday morning, 71 were associated with longterm care facilities. In all, there are 4,100 nursing-home patients with COVID-19.

Of total 1,932 coronavirus deaths in New Jersey, 58% are male and 42% are female.

The breakdowns by race are 64% white (including 17% Latino), 20% black, 6% Asian, and less than 1% Pacific Islanders.

Meanwhile, at least 990 of the deaths have known underlying medical conditions. That includes 29% with cardiovascular disease, 17% diabetes, 10% chronic lung disease, 7% chronic renal disease, 7% neurologic, and 6% cancer.

 

[JerseyGirl]

NJ Wawas Set Aside Hour For At-Risk Shoppers Amid Coronavirus

Wawa will designate 2-3 p.m. each day to accommodate high-risk customers in all of their New Jersey stores.

 

[JrzyGirl70]

New peak predicted for NJ

N.J. coronavirus peak now 11 days away with 16K hospitalizations expected, health officials say

 

[JrzyGirl70]

Thank you Colorado Nurses!!

34 nurses from Colorado arrive to help fight N.J. coronavirus cases

 

[zecats]

Bruce Springsteen, Chris Rock and other New Jersey natives to come together tonight

The brightest stars from New Jersey will come together remotely Wednesday to put on a one-night concert to raise funds to help fight COVID-19 in the Garden State.

The one-hour benefit concert, which begins at 7 p.m., will be headlined by New Jersey natives Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi. Among those performing will be the remaining members of Fountains of Wayne, who are reuniting for their first live performance in seven years to pay tribute to cofounder Adam Schlesinger, who died after contracting the coronavirus. Musician and actress Sharon Van Etten will take Schlesinger’s place on bass and backing vocals.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

The Zoom shiva: Jewish funerals and mourning in the age of COVID

Social distancing is at odds with Jewish rules about burial and grieving, including the ritual of sitting shiva. Rabbis and families are getting creative.

Jacquelyn Bell had to say goodbye to her mother, JoAnn, over the phone.

Joann, who was 73, battled multiple sclerosis most of her adult life, and survived three strokes and bouts of pneumonia. Bell always joked her mom had nine lives.

But on March 30, JoAnn died of COVID-19 in a Michigan hospital.

The night before she died, a nurse held a cellphone to JoAnn’s ear and Bell told her she loved her. But her mom, breathing via a ventilator, was too weak to answer.

“I'm by myself here and my dad's by himself and my brother's by himself,” said Bell from her home in Birmingham, Michigan, just 10 minutes from the hospital where her mother died. “So we couldn't even be there at all and be there for each other, be there for her.”...

 

[JrzyGirl70]

Hospitalizations decline

Number of coronavirus patients at N.J. hospitals drops to 3-week low with 5th straight day of declines

 

[MajorHoople]

Hospitalizations decline

Number of coronavirus patients at N.J. hospitals drops to 3-week low with 5th straight day of declines

Well that's certainly good news!

 

[JerseyGirl]

Governor Murphy announced a reopening plan called “The Road Back: Restoring Economic Health Through Public Health.” The plan includes principles for measuring progress towards reopening the state, including expanding testing capacity and demonstrating reductions in new Covid-19 cases.

The state’s stay-at-home order will remain in effect until further notice.

New Jersey will reopen state parks and golf courses on May 2.

Reopening America: A state-by-state breakdown of the status of coronavirus restrictions