A federal directive on travel restriction for residents of the tri-state area will have little effect on how New Jersey is currently operating, according to Gov. Phil Murphy.
After President Donald Trump stated he might quarantine parts of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, the The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) instead issued a domestic travel advisory on March 28 urging residents of those states refrain from non-essential domestic travel for 14 days.
“To be clear, this non-binding advisory guidance does not change the rules that have been established and in place for over a week now,” said Murphy in a press statement. “If you have been working as part of our frontline response effort, from healthcare workers to supermarket workers, we still need you on the job.”
‘Constant Communication’
The governor said he’s been in “constant communication” with the White House, including discussions with the President and Vice President Mike Pence about the CDC advisory.
As of March 29, the number of coronavirus cases in New Jersey climbed to 13,386 with 2,316 new cases announced by the state and 21 new deaths, bringing that total to 161.
North Jersey State Hot Spot
North Jersey remains the primary hot spot in the state with Bergen having 2,169 total cases, followed by Essex at 1,227, Hudson at 974, Middlesex at 938, Union at 896, Monmouth at 870, Passaic at 831, Ocean at 759, Morris at 566, Somerset at 295, Mercer at 202, Camden at 164, Burlington at 142, Sussex at 93, Gloucester at 72, Hunterdon at 66, Warren at 56, Atlantic at 24, Cumberland at 11, Cape May at nine and Salem at three.
Another 3,020 cases remain under investigation to determine where the person who tested positive resides.
Over the weekend, an executive order from the governor was enacted to streamline data from healthcare facilities.
Daily Data Reports
The order directs a daily data report concerning healthcare capacity and supplies to the state’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM). The facilities subject to this requirement include licensed acute care hospitals, long-term care facilities, hospital systems and emergency field treatment medical facilities.
“This will be invaluable in order to manage the movement of patients, supplies and equipment and to make sure everyone gets the safest care that we can give,” stated New Jersey Department of Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli in a press release.
Effective PPE Management
The data required to be submitted, such as bed capacity, ventilators, and personal protection equipment, shall be specified by OEM, required by 10 a.m. on a daily basis starting Sunday, March 29.
“(The) executive order will allow us to more efficiently and effectively manage the flow of personal protective equipment as hospitals begin expanding their capacities to meet the need of more COVID-19 patients, and allow us to have constantly up-to-date data on bed capacity throughout the state,” said Gov. Murphy.
