COVID-19 Infection Totals In Morris Twp., Plains Facilities

The new coronavirus, or COVID-19, pandemic in nursing home and long-term care facilities continues to claim more lives in Morris Township and Morris Plains and Gov. Phil Murphy has called in the National Guard to assist.

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Murphy said the nursing home and long-term care industry have been "slow to adapt" as 22,602 coronavirus cases have been identified and 4,151 have died – about half of the state's overall total.

In Arbor Terrace Morris Plains has 11 infections and two deaths recorded. Morris View Healthcare Center reported 108 infections and 16 deaths and Sunrise Assisted Living of Morris Plains had three infections and one death since the pandemic began.

Across Morris County there have been 1,446 COVID-19 infections spread across 41 facilities and 342 deaths.

Murphy said his administration has been leading reviews of long-term care facilities and enforcing measures to protect residents and staff.

Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said her department has already curtailed visitation, enforced the notification of outbreaks and required people to wear masks. Now they've also:

• Worked with the National Guard to provide "some efforts" in assisting the facilities, although they weren't specified.
• Conducted an inspection of 60 facilities in April to check for the availability of personal protective equipment, the quality of infection control and staffing levels, among other criteria.
• Directed at least four sites to develop "directed plans of correction" after the inspections, and several facilities have to bring in consultants to assist. She didn't identify the facilities.

The largest outbreak in Morris County remains at the Lincoln Park Care Center. The report shows 168 cases, up from 163, were logged there and out of those there were 52 deaths, up from 48.

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