Sunday, February 13, 2022

13 February 2022: Bipartisan Push to Probe New Jersey COVID Nursing Home Deaths

Democrat joins push to investigate NJ nursing home COVID deaths

This report confirms the effort to probe New Jersey's COVID nursing home deaths during the period that Governor Phil Murphy's version of New York's Andrew M. Cuomo's deadly 25 March 2020 directive was in effect is now bipartisan. Here's the main takeaway:

The push in the state Senate for a special committee to investigate deaths in New Jersey nursing homes during the pandemic is now bipartisan.

Sen. Nia Gill, D-Essex, introduced a resolution Thursday that would establish a Nursing Home Pandemic Response Investigation Committee. It would have seven members and examine the effects of state actions, executive orders, legislation and state policies on nursing homes, residents and their families.

“The only way that we can ensure the public receives the answers they deserve is to have this committee in the Legislature,” Gill said. “We must have a comprehensive report on how our system of care failed seniors and their families and how we can improve these systems going forward.”

The resolution is similar to what has been advocated for since 2020 by Sen. Joseph Pennacchio, R-Morris, who is now also a prime sponsor of Gill’s proposal.

“It is encouraging to see bipartisan support for an inquiry,” Pennacchio said. “Without an official forum, it is obvious New Jersey residents will never learn the truth about what happened in the nursing homes and what could have been done to prevent the tragedies and save lives.”

Here is related information from the timeline:

There is no information at this date on the status of the U.S. Department of Justice's investigation of what happened in New Jersey's state government-operated nursing homes for veterans. The bill now being proposed would be the first investigation by lawmakers to probe all New Jersey's COVID nursing home deaths, contradicting New Jersey State Senator Joseph Vitale's desire to sideline any such probes.

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