10 Ways The Coronavirus Has Changed New Jersey – Patch.com

NEW JERSEY — 2020 is officially in the rearview mirror. But the heartaches and hope that have emerged during New Jersey’s ongoing battle with the coronavirus will endure.

Here are 10 ways COVID-19 has changed the Garden State.

THOUSANDS OF DEATHS

The state’s COVID-19 confirmed death toll, which recently surpassed 18,000 confirmed and probable deaths, has robbed New Jersey of some of its most beloved residents.

The disease has also left a devastating toll on many families throughout the state, with some experiencing multiple losses.

HOSPITALS

Hospitals in New Jersey have struggled to care for the vast numbers of patients with COVID-19 throughout the pandemic.

Meanwhile, family members have found it difficult – if not impossible – to comfort their hospitalized loved ones stricken by the virus.

The arrival of the first COVID-19 vaccinations in the state in December has given a boost of hope to frontline health care workers. But there’s still a lot of danger they face on the job, according to Health Professionals & Allied Employees President Debbie White.

“Vaccination alone is not the solution,” White said. “We must include routine testing, contact tracing and effective protective equipment for healthcare workers on the job. Additionally, we urge lawmakers and Gov. Phil Murphy to collect and report health care worker data.”

NURSING, RETIREMENT HOMES

New Jersey’s nursing/retirement homes and other long-term care facilities have also struggled amid the pandemic.

New Jersey kicked off an ambitious plan to start inoculating all 83,000 nursing home residents and staff in late December. In total, 291 nursing homes in New Jersey will get the vaccine.

SCHOOLS

Local school districts and colleges saw their first impacts from the pandemic as their school years were drawing to a close.

As the COVID-19 cases began to increase, students across the state missed out on graduations and other ceremonies – or saw them in a much different form.

Since the start of the new school year, districts have been struggling to keep up with rapidly changing guidelines and data, as well as COVID-19 outbreaks in their communities. Many have also been caught in a fierce, state-wide debate over remote vs. in-person learning.

BUSINESS CLOSURES

Seeking to slow the spread of the virus, New Jersey officials imposed restrictions on businesses throughout the state. Not all of them agreed with the new rules, sparking a contentious standoff that will likely continue through the new year.

Meanwhile, New Jersey’s businesses have been pushed to their financial limits during the pandemic. Some have not survived.

STATE DEBT

In August, Gov. Murphy signed the New Jersey COVID-19 Emergency Bond Act into law on Thursday, allowing the Garden State to borrow up to $9.9 billion to address what lawmakers are calling an “unprecedented fiscal crisis.”

Republicans in New Jersey sued to block the move. But the New Jersey Supreme Court sided with Murphy – with some conditions.

TRANSPORTATION

The pandemic has had serious impacts on the transportation infrastructure of New Jersey, and the millions of people who depend on it.

State officials have rolled out a series of travel guidelines, including the governor’s quickly changing quarantine advisory list.

Meanwhile, the state’s largest transportation and travel agencies have been forced to entirely revamp the way they operate.

KIDS WORK BALANCE

The coronavirus pandemic has caused havoc for working parents, many of whom already struggled to balance their jobs and kids.

A recent study found that the crisis has intensified barriers to economic security and childcare among families with children.

“COVID has turned everyone’s lives upside down, and especially working parents who are struggling to maintain their jobs and care for their children at home because COVID has closed their schools or places of care,” said Yarrow Willman-Cole of NJ Citizen Action and convener of the NJ Time to Care Coalition.

SOCIAL JUSTICE

The coronavirus pandemic has put a spotlight on a wave of social justice issues in the Garden State, such as racial/gender equity, wealth gaps and immigration.

Many of these problems existed long before the virus arrived in New Jersey, advocates say.

ADAPTING AMID A PANDEMIC

The pandemic has forced New Jersey to find ways to adapt to a “new normal.”

Some people have repurposed their skills to help others make it through the crisis.

Others have managed to find ways to innovate their businesses – and even thrive – amid the pandemic.

Send news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com

Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site. Sign up for Patch email newsletters.