Murphy Taps Firms To Review COVID-19 Response

By Christian Wade | The Center Square contributor, The Center Square New Jersey

November 30, 2022

(The Center Square) – New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has tapped a pair of private consulting firms to conduct a review of his administration's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

An executive order signed by Murphy on Monday calls for an independent review to examine New Jersey's preparedness for COVID-19, gauge the state's overall handling of the pandemic response, and recommend steps the state can take to prepare for future public health emergencies.

"Throughout the pandemic, my responsibility as governor demanded that I make every decision based on the available data, facts, and science in order to preserve the health and safety of all 9.3 million residents, regardless of the politics," the Democrat said in a statement.

"My responsibility as governor also demands a full and comprehensive review of how the state was prepared for and responded to the pandemic, so that we can take the steps to better prepare future administrations for a public health crisis," he added.

The review will be conducted by Massachusetts-based Boston Consulting Group, and the Pennsylvania-based law firm Montgomery McCracken Walker & Rhoads, and overseen by Paul Zoubek, a Republican former assistant state attorney general who served under former Gov. Christine Whitman. A report on the review's findings is due next year.

"As a widely respected, apolitical, and experienced state and federal prosecutor, Paul Zoubek is exactly the right person to lead this review and has the experience in emergency management and government investigations that makes him perfectly suited for this task," Murphy said.

The Murphy administration didn't say how much the review will cost the state or reveal details of the contracts with the two consulting firms.

The move makes good on a promise Murphy made in the early days of the pandemic, when he pledged to conduct an independent review of his handling of the state's response.

Murphy initially made the pledge in April 2020 but wasn't clear on when the review would be conducted.

New Jersey enacted some of the most stringent COVID-19 precautions in the nation during the height of the pandemic in 2020, closing businesses and schools while requiring social distancing and masking in public.

The state was criticized for its handling of COVID-19 outbreaks in long-term care facilities, such as nursing and congregate homes, where the fatality rate was high. It led to criticism that the state was unprepared to support the assisted living facilities, and too slow to respond.

At one point, New Jersey requested emergency aid from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the National Guard to provide care and administer COVID-19 vaccines.

A 2020 study by a consulting firm hired by the Murphy administration found many long-term care facilities in New Jersey were ill-equipped to deal with the public health emergency. The report called for tougher state scrutiny, but stopped short of blaming the Murphy administration.

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