Cranford Reports 43 Fatalities Due To Coronavirus

CRANFORD, NJ — Cranford Mayor Patrick Giblin said Tuesday that coronavirus has taken a total of 43 lives in Cranford. He said 32 of them were in one of the three long-term care facilities in the township, such as nursing homes and rehabs. Recently, the state demanded that the homes release accurate numbers of fatalities.

Giblin wrote Tuesday night, "We are deeply saddened every day to learn of another Cranford resident who has died from this awful virus and we offer our sincere condolences to their families and friends. To members of our community sick with COVID-19, we are thinking about you and wish you a complete recovery."

Regarding the nursing homes, he said, "Our health officer and the Office of Emergency Management are in regular contact with the medical staffs at all three LTC facilities."

The state on Monday added a tab on the coronavirus statistics dashboard for long-term care facilities. These can include nursing homes, rehab centers, and veterans' homes.

Long-term care facilities have been a point of concern, as has been potential spillover to the senior community at large. The list of facilities was provided by the state Department of Health.

As of Tuesday, there were 10 new confirmed cases of the virus in Cranford, for a total of 291.

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Giblin also noted that the medical staff at Overlook Hospital in Summit needs help.

Sew caps and headbands and leave at Fire Department

"Former Cranford resident Tim Styler let us know that medical personnel at Overlook need surgical caps and headbands," he wrote on Monday. "If you can sew, here are two patterns to use, but feel free to find another pattern. The finished caps and headbands can be left in a container outside the Cranford Fire Department. Please place the caps and headbands in a plastic bag before placing them in the container."

How to get help

Giblin has also posted information about where to get tested, about not feeling isolated during social isolation, about domestic violence, unemployment benefits, and more. To read the rest of his Monday newsletter, click here. For Tuesday, click here.

There were 88,806 people who have tested positive for the coronavirus across New Jersey as of Monday, and 4,377 of them have died, according to the state health department. Read more: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

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