Cumberland County follows the statewide statistic of roughly half its COVID-19 related deaths occurring at long-term care facilities. The county has six facilities with outbreaks, totaling 309 total cases at these long term care facilities and 27 of the 51 deaths reported for Cumberland County, as of Sunday, May 17 at 1 p.m.
As seen in the chart to the right, seven of these cases and three of the deaths related to residents of the Vineland Veterans Memorial Home.
Gov. Phil Murphy announced that New Jersey has engaged a team of experts with national experience to conduct a rapid review of the state’s 575 long-term care facilities to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 and reduce impacts of future outbreaks. The team will produce a set of recommendations for the New Jersey Department of Health and long-term care facilities, as well as advise on potential state or federal action to improve quality, safety, and resilience within New Jersey’s long-term care system. These recommendations will guide how long-term care facilities can safely reopen for residents and staff after the current COVID-19 outbreak and address mitigation, protection, and resiliency against future outbreaks. The Department of Health will continue implementing protocols, inspections, and testing at all long-term care facilities while this review takes place.
The team of experts will be led by Cindy Mann, a 30-year expert in federal and state health policy who ran Medicaid in the Obama Administration as former Deputy Administrator at the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and Carol Raphael, former CEO and president of the Visiting Nurse Service of New York, as well as the former board chair of AARP.
“In New Jersey and across the nation, COVID-19 has devastated our long-term care facilities,” said Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli. “We’ve delivered 10.7 million in PPE, inspected 60 facilities, curtailed admission at several homes, sent federal Veterans Administration staff into veteran’s homes and issued 18 guidance documents curtailing visitation and requiring monitoring of residents for respiratory symptoms. Now, we are testing residents and staff statewide. We look forward to working with this team of experts to ensure that we can do everything possible to protect our most vulnerable population.”
For a complete list and updates on the cases at Cumberland County’s long-term care facilities, visit state.nj.us/health/healthfacilities/documents/LTC_Facilities_Outbreaks_List.pdf
