Deadline Looms For NJ Long-Term Care Facility COVID-19 Testing

NEW JERSEY - Psychiatric facilities and veterans homes have completed universal COVID-19 testing but next week's deadline looms for long-term care facilities, according to Department of Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli.

"Testing of residents is a priority," she said, noting that testing data from 80 percent of New Jersey's long-term care facilities has been received.

Last Tuesday was the deadline for all long-term care facilities to send the Department of Health attestations that they had a plan in place for care and Persichilli said that 100 percent of the facilities have achieved compliance.

Overall, 5,721 residents and 104 staff have died from nursing homes and other long-term care facilities in New Jersey.

Last week, the Department of Health began reporting lab confirmed deaths and list the number of residents and staff with lab confirmed deaths at 4,871.

Last week, Persichilli said that her department has been providing guidance and support to long-term care facilities throughout this outbreak, and they stand ready to support them through this epidemic.

Here is timeline she provided, going back to when the state was notified of their first case on March 4:

• On March 6, the Department of Health issues a memo emphasizing to all long-term care facilities the importance of their infection prevention response plans during the epidemic.
• On March 14, visitation was restricted based on information that community spread was placing their residents at risk.
• On March 15, the state was notified of its first outbreak in a long-term care facility.
• On March 22, in response to staffing concerns, waivers were enacted to allow additional staff to long-term care facilities.
• On March 24, with a long-term care facility short-staffed and overwhelmed, the DOH arranged the transfer of 78 residents that Friday evening to "safety in another facility."
• On March 25, Persichilli contacted the Washington State Health Department to learn about its experience fighting COVID-19. That state's suggestions aligned with what NJ had done.
• Also on March 25, Murphy signed Executive Order 111 requiring all facilities to report on supplies and be prepared to allocate scarce resources that included long-term care.
• On March 30, another advisory was sent out for all post-acute settings. It included restricting visitors, active symptoms screenings, separate wings for asymptomatic residents and limit cross-polination of staff. The state recommended stopping roup activities and group dining.
• Universal masking was implemented.
• Optimizing PPE usage was suggested.
• Staff contingency plans were asked to be developed.
• Also on March 30, Care One agreed to take COVID positive patients from acute care hospitals to provide beds and take patients from the already stressed long-term care facilities.
• On March 31 discharge instructions were sent to all hospitals to prevent further admissions.
• Also on March 31, Persichilli held a call with over 200 facilities outlining requirements for accepting patients back. The key was adherence to infection prevention.
• On April 2, a memo was sent requiring facilities to share their staffing capacities and PPE supply numbers. Since then and May 19 more than 24 million pieces of PPE have been sent to long-term care facilities.
• Early April contracts were finalized with Aleris and Genesis to designate an additional 522 COVID-capable beds for nursing home patients being discharged from hospitals.
• On April 13, an emergency curtailment order was issued to prohibit admission and readmission to facilities if they did not have the ability to cohort patients and staff and follow guidelines and staffing.
• April 13-15, the "predicted surge in our hospitals" happened.

Other reports, however, have shown a particularly horrifying trend.

Another report about a Warren County facility revealed a woman who fought to save her father from what she says was mismanagement of his care.

Infamously, Andover Rehabilitation and Subacute Care set up a "makeshift morgue" to deal with an overflow of bodies over Easter weekend. The facility, which had numerous complaints and penalties levied at it in the past was recently fined $220,000 and is now being sued by families of patients.

Murphy is also facing criticism from Senator Joseph Pennacchio, who is calling for a Senate Select Committee to investigate the Executive Branch's handling of the pandemic after a report the Administration has altered the total of COVID-related nursing home deaths.

"It is a disturbing and ineffective attempt to cover up the extent of an ongoing tragedy that has wreaked havoc in nursing homes," said Pennacchio after a published report that the state had altered its accounting of virus deaths in senior facilities.

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