Gov. Phil Murphy blasted an Atlantic County official’s call for the state to be reopened in an unusual flash of anger in public over the weekend. “That is irresponsible…(If) we quote-unquote untie the system right now, there will be blood on our hands,” Murphy stated. North-JerseyNews.com
Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation I and II were issued citations by the New Jersey Department of Health following surveys by state and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services officials. Besides the citations, the facility is required to have a plan of correction, which must include an onsite infection prevention specialist, a chief nurse officer and an administration manager. New Jersey Herald
The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services is ordering nursing home operators nationwide to report coronavirus cases to patients at their facilities as well as their families. The mandate requires the nursing homes to report such cases to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and tracking any outbreak that begins in nursing homes will be part of efforts to reopen state economies. NJ.com
The Trump administration and Congress expect agreement on a new COVID-19 aid package of up to $450 billion. The package would provide $300 billion for a small business payroll program, $50 billion for a small business disaster fund, $75 billion for hospitals and $25 billion for testing. The Wall Street Journal
State lawmakers are concerned new emergency triage guidelines for the state’s hospitals could result in furthering racial disparities in who is being treated for the coronavirus. With hospital resources running low, the guidelines guide facilities to give ventilators to those most likely to survive. Elected state officials worry African American patients, who are more likely to have other conditions such as heart disease and diabetes, may lose out if ventilators must be rationed. PoliticoNJ
State officials expect New Jersey students and faculty will have to wear face coverings when schools reopen, to protect themselves and others from the coronavirus. Gov. Phil Murphy did not specify if this would apply to schools were they to reopen before the scheduled end of this academic year or in the fall. NJ.com
Jersey City School Superintendent believes schools should remain closed for the rest of the school year. The superintendent said many decisions have yet to be made about transitioning back to a traditional learning environment, including if class size will have to be reduced and will physical distancing be enforced. The Jersey Journal
Hoboken will lay off 4% of its workforce as a result of a multi-million-dollar budget gap resulting from added expenses and revenue shortfalls due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The office of civil service will determine which 26 employees will be let go May 7. Hudson Reporter
Rep. Josh Gottheimer requested funding be withheld from the federal budget for any construction on Interstate 80 in regards to New Jersey’s proposed rockfall mitigation project through the Delaware Water Gap. The project proposed by the state’s department of transportation to prevent rocks falling onto a highway is the highest priority site in the state, but local officials want safety concerns about an S-curve in the area they believe to be more dangerous addressed first. New Jersey Herald
Passaic’s plan to redevelop the east side moved forward with the approval of two residential projects that will yield 240 apartments and several retail stores. The Planning Board recently approved Passaic Street Properties LLC to build 208 mostly two-bedroom apartments and 8,000 square feet of retail space on the site of the former home of the New York and Greenwood Lake Railroad on Passaic Street and a second project with 36 apartments on Wall Street. The Record
And finally…The Voice contestant Felicia Temple has returned to her job as a nurse at Holy Name Medical Center. The Record
