Gov. Murphy: NJ’s COVID-19 Contact Tracing Is ‘Highly Disturbing’ – Newark, NJ Patch
NEW JERSEY – Gov. Phil Murphy, speaking during a Friday news conference, said New Jersey has run into trouble in its efforts to contain the coronavirus because of contact-tracing problems. Murphy made the announcement as he revealed 313 new coronavirus cases and 13 more confirmed deaths were reported (you can watch it here, below).
The update comes as the number of cases rose to 188,817 and 14,112 confirmed deaths have been reported. Read more: NJ Coronavirus, School Reopen Updates: Here’s What You Need To Know
Murphy said more than half of the people contacted through contact tracing have refused to provide information and “this is highly disturbing, to say the least.”
Murphy suggested that the lack of participation in providing information to contact tracers may have slowed efforts to track the virus and ultimately quarantine people to reduce the spread.
The number of people not picking up the call is 19 percent, and the number of people not providing contacts is 52 percent, said Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli.
“It is essential that residents join with the contact tracers in containing this disease,” Persichilli said. “Contact tracers are calling with lifesaving information that will keep you and your loved ones and our communities safe and healthy.”
It also could explain why New Jersey has had a hard time recently in keeping its transmission rate below 1.0, which is considered too high. That means every person with the coronavirus is spreading the disease, on average, to at least one other person.
After weeks of having a rate around 0.82, New Jersey’s rate is currently at 1.04.
Murphy has suggested that younger people are afraid to give up people who may have been in contact with possibly coronavirus-infected people at indoor parties.
“Please, folks: Take the damn call,” Murphy said. “Work with them. Consider it another piece of personal responsibility that we need to take to defeat the virus.”
Persichilli described what contact tracers typically do:
- They identify that they work with the local health department
- If they can’t reach you by phone, they will leave a voicemail. “Please call them back,” she said.
- They may ask you to confirm your date of birth, your address and some other basic information.
- They may discuss your symptoms and if you should be hospitalized
- They may ask if you have underlying conditions.
- They may ask if you’ve been within 6 feet of an infected person for more than 10 minutes, starting two days before symptoms became apparent.
Murphy said his administration has done what it can on its end, adding 83 contact tracers to raise the Garden State’s number to 1,612.
Murphy said the contact tracers efforts are “not about a witch hunt.”
“Our contact tracers only care about protecting public health,” Murphy said. “They care about protecting you and your family and your friends.”
The inability to do more to contain the virus perhaps has led Murphy to reject calls to reopen New Jersey on a regional basis, as well as business industry calls to reopen gyms and indoor dining. Here’s why. Read more: Gov. Murphy Nixes NJ Regional Reopen, Gym, Indoor Dining Restart
New Jersey officials confirmed that at least 139 school districts want an all-remote start of the school year. Read more: NJ: 139 School Districts Want All-Remote Start Amid Coronavirus
Watch Murphy here:
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