NJGOP Calls For Federal Investigation Into Murphy Administration Handling of Longterm Care Facilities

For Immediate Release

Trenton, NJ – Last week, the NJGOP highlighted New Jersey’s outlier status in COVID-19 related longterm care facility deaths and called for a legislative investigation into the Murphy Administration’s policies, including forcing facilities to accept COVID-19 positive admissions.

Yesterday, the New Jersey legislature announced such an investigation, but backed off an hour later and postponed the investigation until after consultants hired by the Murphy administration deliver their recommendations for future policies and protocols.

Tragically, the Murphy administration had notice and time to prepare for health outbreaks in New Jersey’s longterm care facilities. In 2018, 11 children died after an adenovirus outbreak at a long-term care facility in northern New Jersey.

The legislature drafted a law requiring facilities to have strict outbreak plans, but Governor Murphy’s Health Department objected to the bill’s original language. They objected to a requirement that all of the plans be reviewed and approved by the State government, because they were concerned that the Department lacked the recourses to give overnight and wouldn’t provide the extra funding to keep people safe.

“Senior homes are building makeshift morgues because of Governor Murphy’s poor judgment and weak leadership,” said NJGOP Chairman Doug Steinhardt. “This administration turned longterm care facilities into death traps and locked in our parents, grandparents, veterans and other loved ones, and left them to die.”

Steinhardt added, “Since the Democrat State legislature refuses to do its duty and protect the interests of the State’s residents, we are appealing to the federal government to intervene, be objective, and conduct an immediate and impartial investigation. Someone must answer to New Jersey’s families.”