Six Coronavirus Deaths And 820 Cases In Jersey City

JERSEY CITY — After Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop Tweeted on Tuesday that Jersey City had a high number of coronavirus cases — six deaths and more than 820 confirmed cases — his Tweet provoked some questions, as well as a Bergen Record story saying there were more cases in Jersey City than in 23 states.

Fulop posted the Record story on Twitter on Wednesday and elucidated further:

We’ve been asked - Why do we get test results at our JC sites faster than other testing sites around NJ? Answer: we decided to contract directly w/the lab which means daily we bring labs the kits/pick up directly results to give back to residents (cont) https://t.co/qOX49VbtaG
— Steven Fulop (@StevenFulop)

Fulop said that his city had found a way to "contract directly with the lab" to get test results sooner.

But the statistics are sobering. Fulop said the deaths included a city employee who also works as a security guard at Christ Hospital. "He was a 60 yo male in relatively good health," Fulop wrote.

In #JerseyCity we have 820 confirmed cases and 6 fatalities. We need to continue to work together here + follow guidelines. Last night a city employee passed away from Covid-19. He was 60yo male and in relatively good health. He also worked
— Steven Fulop (@StevenFulop) March" class="redactor-linkify-object">https://twitter.com/StevenFulo... 31, 2020

as a security officer part time at Christ Hospital. While most people seem to recover from Covid-19, the fatalities really hit home when it is someone you work with/know. Let’s please follow the rules as that will be the best tool to avoiding fatalities + hardship
— Steven Fulop (@StevenFulop) March" class="redactor-linkify-object">https://twitter.com/StevenFulo... 31, 2020

After Fulop Tweeted more about the statistics, and Tweeted about social distancing measures in the city, one woman posted a photo of construction workers standing close together on a building, which would appear to contradict social distancing guidelines. The day the photo was taken could not be ascertained.

Others complained that NJ Transit cut some bus routes, making for more crowding: "No social distancing on overcrowded buses."

And someone said she had been waiting for a test result for five days. "Please give results back to individuals faster," she wrote. "I was tested Saturday morning and I’m still waiting and still sick."

Newark, which has had eight deaths and 290 cases as of Monday, was placed on lockdown this week to slow the spread of the virus, as were three other Essex County towns.

Jersey City is the second most populous city in New Jersey, after Newark, with more than 260,000 residents.

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New Jersey has an estimated 8.9 million residents, according to the Census.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said Wednesday there were 355 deaths in the Garden State from coronavirus, including eight in a Wanaque nursing home. More than 22,255 residents are confirmed to have it. More are waiting for test results, which often take several days.

Experts say that the novel coronavirus, because it's new, is more lethal and much harder to treat than the flu.

Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that include the common cold as well as much more serious diseases. The strain that emerged in China in late 2019, now called COVID-19, is related to others that have caused serious outbreaks in recent years, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the U.S. was on Jan. 21.

Residents who have questions about coronavirus can call 211 or contact the State of New Jersey's hotline at 1 (800) 222-1222.

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