152 Deaths Reported At Wayne Long-Term Care Facilities

WAYNE, NJ — The latest numbers from the New Jersey Department of Health show that 152 staff and residents of Wayne Township long-term care facilities have died, and 751 have been reported.

On Thursday, May 21, Mayor Christopher Vergano reported that 151 Wayne Township residents have died from the coronavirus, and a total of 1,292 have tested positive.

In his daily news briefings, Vergano has consistently stated that a majority — roughly 75 to 80 percent — of those cases and deaths have occurred in the township's 12 long-term care facilities.

However, it remains unclear how connected the long-term care facility totals are to the township totals.

The newest state numbers show 152 deaths and 751 cases have been reported from long-term care facilities in Wayne as of May 20. The numbers include both resident and staff deaths from the facilities.

In a Friday email, the department of health explained staff deaths are counted toward the municipal total only in the municipality in which they lived, meaning not all staff deaths in Wayne Township long-term care facilities are reported toward the township total.

Individual statistics for each long-term care facility are listed below:

• Brookdale Senior Living: One COVID-19 confirmed resident, seven confirmed staff, no reported deaths.
• Regency Gardens Nursing and Post-Acute Rehabilitation Center: 16 COVID-19 confirmed residents, 24 confirmed staff, one resident death, no staff deaths.
• The Bristal: Four COVID-19 confirmed residents, four confirmed staff, one resident death and one staff death.
• Arden Courts: Six COVID-19 confirmed residents, six confirmed staff, one resident death, no staff deaths.
• Arbor Ridge Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center: 22 COVID-19 confirmed residents, eight confirmed staff, five resident deaths and no staff deaths.
• Sunrise Assisted Living: 12 COVID-19 confirmed residents, nine confirmed staff, seven resident deaths, no staff deaths.
• Lakeview Rehabilitation and Care Center: 33 COVID-19 confirmed residents, 15 confirmed staff, 13 resident deaths, no staff deaths.
• Care One: 51 COVID-19 confirmed residents, 26 confirmed staff, 18 resident deaths and one staff death.
• Atrium Post Acute Care of Wayneview: 63 COVID-19 confirmed residents, 41 confirmed staff, 19 resident deaths and three staff deaths.
• Preakness Healthcare Center: 109 COVID-19 confirmed residents, 85 confirmed staff, 21 resident deaths, no staff deaths.
• Llanfair House Care and Rehabilitation Center: 63 COVID-19 confirmed residents, 29 confirmed staff, 23 resident deaths, one staff death.
• Atrium Post-Acute of Wayne: 94 COVID-19 confirmed residents, 23 confirmed staff, 37 resident deaths, no staff deaths.

The coronavirus situation at New Jersey nursing homes has been under the microscope this week. In a Thursday news conference, Gov. Phil Murphy acknowledged that the state "can do better" regarding the outbreak at these facilities.

In total, 5,456 residents and 98 staff have died from nursing homes and other long-term care facilities in New Jersey.

Sixty-three Bergen County long-term care facilities have reported outbreaks. In those facilities, 878 residents have died and 2915 residents have tested positive for the coronavirus. An additional 1,347 staff cases have been reported, and 10 staff members have died.

Calls from experts to expand testing in the facilities have been heard, but the price tag is steep.

There are 363 facilities listed as nursing homes in the state, with residents totaling 43,315 and staff at 47,410. To test every resident and staff member would mean 90,725 total tests at an estimated cost of $13,608,750, according to a report from Patch earlier this week.

That number doesn't include assisted living or other long-term care facilities.

In addition to the mounting case numbers, there is mounting pressure on long-term care facilities to provide greater transparency to their processes.

Ninety-two of New Jersey's long-term care facilities failed to comply with a mandate to provide new coronavirus testing plans to the New Jersey Department of Health.

The long-term care facilities aren't the only groups facing criticism over the handling of nursing home data.

Senator Joseph Pennacchio is calling for a Senate Collect Committee to investigate the handling of the pandemic by Gov. Murphy's office after reports that the state altered the accounting of virus deaths in senior facilities.