96 Percent Drop In New COVID-19 Infections In NJ Nursing Homes

NEW JERSEY - After a year of pain, frustration and literal horror stories coming out of long-term care facilities afflicted with COVID-19, the Garden State has finally experienced a precipitous drop in cases brought on by the advent of vaccinations.

"We continue to track outbreaks and cases at long-term care facilities in the state. We have seen a marked decrease in the number of newly reported cases from the fall peak (week of Jan. 3) to the week of Feb. 28," New Jersey Department of Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said. "Between this period of time, there was a decline of 96.4 percent in the weekly number of newly reported resident cases and a 95.9 percent decline in the weekly number of newly reported resident deaths."

The significant decline in cases and deaths in long-term care facilities is likely due to a combination of factors, including vaccination, a decrease in community transmission, improved infection prevention and control measures, and residual immunity from prior COVID-19 infection in this population, officials said.

Nationwide, the numbers are similarly encouraging. The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living, representing more than 14,000 nursing homes and long term care facilities across the country that provide care to approximately five million people each year, released a report today showing nursing homes in the U.S. have seen the lowest number of new COVID cases since the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services started tracking back in May, suggesting that the vaccines are working.

Recent CMS data shows that nursing homes have seen an 82 percent decline in new COVID cases among residents since the peak during the week of December 20 of last year when there were more than 30,000 new resident cases. In the same period of time, community cases in the general population dropped by 46 percent, showcasing that vaccines are having an impact in protecting the elderly population in nursing homes.

“We still have a long road ahead, but these numbers are incredibly encouraging and a major morale booster for frontline caregivers who have been working tirelessly every day for a year to protect our residents,” said Mark Parkinson, president and CEO of AHCA/NCAL. “This new data showcases just how important it is for nursing homes residents and staff, as well as the general public, to get the vaccine because it is clearly working.”

The report also shows cases have dropped to the lowest level since CMS started tracking weekly COVID cases in nursing homes last May.

Along with the lowest number of new COVID cases, new data also shows COVID related deaths in nursing homes declined by 63 percent since Dec. 20.

But despite the fact that things are improving, Persichilli said they are still trying to reconcile many issues still within long-term care.

"We can't ignore there are still outbreaks in these facilities," she noted. "And we can't ignore that we had one of the highest mortality rates in long-term care."

To that point, Murphy addressed, again, the criticism from Republican lawmakers about his handling of the pandemic outbreak in those facilities. He noted that those making those criticisms had not read the directives, which were "crystal clear."

"If they were to be readmitted you had to meet certain, strict, black and white standards. Separating not just residents, but staff," he said Monday. "They had to be separated by floor, by wing, by building. The staff could not comingle. And further, if you could not do that as a facility you were mandated to come to the Department of Health and raise your hand and say 'please help us.'"

Murphy said that happened on multiple occasions, and he has no time for what he called "political noise."

"We're still in the war here. We're still in the fight," he said.

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