Latest Somerset Co. Nursing Home Coronavirus Deaths

SOMERSET COUNTY, NJ — As New Jersey begins to crack down on nursing homes and long-term care facilities, deaths related to the new coronavirus continue to rise in Somerset County.

The state has a dashboard set up that tracks the number of cases statewide, including how many cases and fatalities involve long-term care facilities. The latest in Somerset County show 1,347 cases are spread among the 32 impacted facilities. Last week, only 30 long-term care facilities had reported infections. There have been 227 deaths at these facilities as reported by the New Jersey Department of Health on Wednesday. Last week the report had 170.

The largest outbreak in Somerset County is now at Green Brook Regional. The report shows 127 cases, up from 100 were logged there last week. Out of those there were 5 deaths, which remained the same. However, the largest death rate in Somerset County is now Foothill Acres Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Hillsborough with 24 deaths, up from 16 last week and 90 cases, up from 53.

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Here are the facilities in Somerset County that have patients positive for the coronavirus, followed by the deaths (in parentheses) that have happened at those facilities. The list of facilities was provided by the state Department of Health; there may be discrepancies due to a delay in communications between the facilities and the state:

• Foothill Acres Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, Hillsborough: 90 (24) vs. 53 (16)
• Regency Jewish Heritage Post Acute Rehab and Nursing Center, Franklin: 74 (23) vs. 23 (8)
• Abingdon Care and Rehab Center in Greenbrook, Middlebrook/Green Brook: 103 (22) vs. 65 (10)
• Bridgeway Senior Healthcare at Bridgewater, Bridgewater: 98 (15)
• Willow Creek Rehabilitation and Care Center, Franklin: 66 (14)
• Martin and Edith Stein Assisted Living Residence, Inc., Somerset: 37 (14)
• Spring Hills Assisted Living Facility Somerset, Franklin: 42 (11)
• Complete Care at Green Knoll, Bridgewater: 74 (10)
• Lyons Campus of the VA New Jersey Health Care System, Bernards Township: 61 (10)
• CareOne at Somerset Valley Rehabilitation Facility, Bound Brook: 32 (10)
• New Jersey Eastern Star Home, Bridgewater: 32 (7)
• Mc Auley Hall Health Center, Watchung: 39 (6)
• The Chelsea at Warren , Warren: 23 (6)
• Brookdale Hillsborough, Hillsborough: 18 (6)
• Green Brook Regional, Green Brook: 127 (5)
• Parker at Somerset, Somerset: 73 (5)
• Care One at Somerset Valley AL, Bound Brook: 33 (5)
• Bridgeway Care And Rehabilitation Center At Hillsborough, Hillsborough: 24 (5)
• All American Assited Living at Hillsborough, Hillsborough: 24 (5)
• Fellowship Village, Bernards Township: 35 (4)
• The Arbor at Laurel Circle, Bridgewater: 26 (4)
• Sunrise of Basking Ridge, Basking Ridge: 16 (3)
• Brandywine Living at Middlebrook Crossing, Bridgewater: 16 (3)
• Brightview at Warren Assisted Living, Warren: 14 (3)
• Fox Trail Senior Living, Green Brook: 7 (3)
• Stonebridge at Montgomery, Montgomery: 38 (1)
• Sunrise of Bridgewater, Bridgewater: 18 (1)
• Brandywine Living at Mountain Ridge, Watchung: 7 (1)
• Rehab at River's Edge, Raritan: 22 (1) vs. 22 (1)
• Avalon Assisted Living at Hillsborough, Hillsborough: 19 (0)
• The Avalon at Bridgewater, Bridgewater: 2 (0)
• Somerset Woods Rehabilitation & Nursing Center: 4 (0)

Statewide, 24,874 cases of the coronavirus have been identified at 513 long-term care facilities. There have been 4,556 deaths at these facilities.

A big part of the nursing home and long-term care problem is that, health officials have acknowledged, the numbers are probably higher – maybe even way higher – than reported.

Murphy said his administration has been leading reviews of long-term care facilities and enforcing measures to protect residents and staff. Read More: NJ Clamps Down On Nursing Homes As Coronavirus Deaths Spiral Up

Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said her department has already curtailed visitation, enforced the notification of outbreaks and required people to wear masks. Now they've also:

• Worked with the National Guard to provide "some efforts" in assisting the facilities, although they weren't specified.
• Conducted an inspection of 60 facilities in April to check for the availability of personal protective equipment, the quality of infection control and staffing levels, among other criteria.
• Directed at least four sites to develop "directed plans of correction" after the inspections, and several facilities have to bring in consultants to assist. She didn't identify the facilities.

Read more: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

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