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>> Martha: NEW JERSEY HAS BEEN
ONE OF THE HARDEST HIT STATES IN
THE COUNTRY BY COVID-19, BUT THE
TRENDS HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE
POSITIVE FOR THE STATE IN THE
PAST TWO WEEKS.
AND GOVERNOR PHIL MURPHY MADE AN
ANNOUNCEMENT THAT WILL MAKE A
LOT OF PEOPLE HAPPY FOR
MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND.
AND THAT IS THAT THE BEACHES
WILL BE OPEN WITH RESTRICTIONS
AND THE GOVERNOR JOINS ME NOW,
GOVERNOR MURPHY, THANK YOU FOR
BEING HERE TONIGHT.
DO YOU HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT
OPENING THOSE BEACHES?
EVERYBODY IS GOING TO BE EXCITED
TO GET OUT THERE AND YOU COULD
SEE SOME CROWDS.
>> WE COULD, MARTHA, GOOD TO BE
WITH YOU.
WE ANNOUNCED THIS TODAY.
WE ANNOUNCED IT WITH THE
FREEHOLDER AND MAYOR FROM CAPE
MAY COUNTY AND REPUBLICAN SO WE
MADE A BIPARTISAN STATEMENT
TODAY.
WE ARE GOING TO TRY TO LIMIT
INTELLIGENTLY CAPACITIES AND
SOCIAL DISTANCING BUT LEAVE IT
TO THE COMMUNITIES THEMSELVES TO
ACTUALLY DO THE ON THE GROUND
MANAGEMENT OF THAT.
FOLKS WANT TO LET OFF STEAM.
THE CURVES ARE GOING THE RIGHT
DIRECTION.
WE ARE NOT OUT OF THE WOODS YET.
WE OPENED OUR HERDS AND THIS IS
ANOTHER BIG STEP, GOD WILLING,
NEW JERSEY NEW JERSEY COMPLYING
WITH THESE POLICIES.
AND I FULLY EXPECT FOLKS TO
CONTINUE TO DO SO.
>> Martha: SO AS YOU KNOW, I’M
FROM NEW JERSEY.
I LIVE HERE MOST OF MY LIFE.
A LOT OF PEOPLE ASKED ME TO ASK
YOU THIS QUESTION.
WE WERE ALL ASKED AS PEOPLE WERE
ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO FLATTEN
THE CURVE.
TO MAKE SURE THE HOSPITALS WERE
NOT OVERRUN.
THIS IS EXACTLY HOW YOU
PRESENTED IT YOURSELF.
THAT WAS THE PURPOSE.
WE WERE NEVER TOLD THAT WE WOULD
HAVE TO STAY IN AT HOME OR IN
ANY FORM OF LOCKDOWN UNTIL THERE
WAS A VACCINE, WHICH COULD BE
QUITE A LONG TIME.
SO WHAT DO YOU SAY TO PEOPLE WHO
SAY THAT THAT WAS NOT THE DEAL?
>> YEAH, WE HAVE NEVER SAID YOU
HAVE TO STAY HOME UNTIL THERE IS
A VACCINE.
I WISH THERE WAS A VEXING
TOMORROW AND I’M SURE YOU DO AS
WELL.
I WILL SAY THIS, THE CURVES HAVE
GOTTEN MEANINGFULLY BETTER, LESS
ICU BEDS, VENTILATORS AND
REPRODUCTION OF THE VIRUS IS WAY
DOWN IN NEW JERSEY, NO QUESTION,
BUT THEY ARE STILL THE NUMBER
ONE STATE IN AMERICA PER CAPITA
OF POSITIVE TESTS,
HOSPITALIZATIONS AND FATALITIES.
IT IS A BALANCING ACT.
AS I MENTIONED, WE OPENED UP
PARKS, BEACHES ON MEMORIAL DAY
WOULD LOOSEN UP CONSTRUCTION,
CURBSIDE PICKUP FOR NONESSENTIAL
RETAIL.
WE ARE GOING TO DO SOMETHING ON
ELECTIVE SURGERIES THE NEXT
COUPLE OF DAYS.
POOL PROTOCOLS, CHARTER BOATS,
WE ARE TRYING SLOWLY,
RESPONSIBLY, ONE STEP AT A TIME
TO GET THE PLACE REOPENING.
>> Martha: OBVIOUSLY, ONE OF
THE REASONS FOR THAT IS THE
ECONOMIC HIT, WHICH HAS BEEN AN
ENORMOUS PEER OF THE STATES LOST
$3.5 BILLION, MORE THAN
1 MILLION PEOPLE AS A RESULT OF
THESE LOCKDOWNS ARE NOW OUT OF
WORK IN NEW JERSEY.
SO, WAS THIS TOO MUCH?
WAS IT TO THE CONAN TO PUT US IN
A TOUGH FINANCIAL POSITION NOW?
>> MARTHA I RESOUND TO SAY NO.
AND THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT I
DON’T APPRECIATE THE ENORMITY OF
THE ECONOMIC HIT, THE
UNEMPLOYMENT, THE SMALL
BUSINESSES BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN
WITHOUT A QUESTION HISTORICAL.
BUT WE BELIEVE COMPLETELY,
PUBLIC HEALTH CREATES ECONOMIC
HEALTH.
IF YOU TRANSPOSE THOSE OR JUMP
THE GUN, NOT ONLY WILL WE HAVE
AN ONGOING PUBLIC HEALTH
CHALLENGE, YOU WE WILL HAVE A
BIGGER ECONOMIC CRISIS.
IT IS WHY WE NEED FEDERAL HELP
TO DIRECT CASH IN TWO STATES.
IT’S NOT TO MANAGE OUR LEGACY
ISSUES.
IT’S TO MANAGE THE ACTUAL HEALTH
CRISIS THAT WE ARE ALL GOING
THROUGH.
SO NO, IT IS IN AN ENORMOUS
ECONOMIC CRISIS, THERE IS NO
QUESTION ABOUT THAT.
THE ONE I THINK A LOT OF
TAXPAYERS WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT
THAT MONEY DOES NOT GO TO FIX
OTHER FINANCIAL PROBLEMS THAT
HAVE BEEN IN FOR A LONG
TIME IN NEW JERSEY OR ANOTHER
STATE.
AND THAT WILL BE AN ENORMOUS
MANAGERIAL JOB FOR THEM TO KEEP
TRACK OF.
I WOULD LIKE TO -- I SPENT A LOT
OF TIME TALKING ABOUT THIS
NURSING HOME ISSUE.
MORE THAN 50% OF THE DEATHS IN
THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY HAVE
TRAGICALLY COME FROM THE NURSING
HOMES.
THIS IS A FAMILY THAT I SPOKE TO
THE OTHER NIGHT FROM THE PARAMUS
VETERAN HOMES.
THIS IS THE WIFE AND THE SON OF
KOREAN WAR VETERAN ARNOLD HABER
WHO DIED AT AGE 91 AT THE HOME.
HERE IS WHAT THEY TOLD ME,
GOVERNOR.
>> I THINK THAT WHEN THEY
STARTED GETTING SICK WHEN THE
VIRUS WAS GOING THROUGH, THEY
SHOULD HAVE REALLY TAKEN THE
HEALTHY SOLDIERS OUT AND PUT
THEM IN A HOTEL INSTEAD OF
LEAVING THEM IN THE ROOM WITH
SOMEBODY THAT HAD THE VIRUS.
AND THIS IS HOW IT SPREAD LIKE
CRAZY.
>> Martha: SO THIS IS A
SITUATION AND SHE ASKS A REALLY
VALID QUESTION.
TWO MONTHS AGO WHY DIDN’T THE
STATE OF NEW JERSEY START MOVING
THESE INDIVIDUALS INTO OTHER
PLACES, HOTELS, THE COMFORTS
COME AT THE JAVITS WHERE WE HAD
ACCESS TO THEM?
>> LISTEN, THE TRAGEDY WITHIN
THE TRAGEDY, MARTHA, LONG-TERM
CARE AND THERE IS NO BIGGER
TRAGEDY THAN OUR BLESSED
VETERANS.
AND I DON’T KNOW THE PARTICULAR
SITUATION OF HER HUSBAND, BUT
GOD REST HIS SOUL.
THESE FOLKS DESERVE A MUCH MORE
NOBLE AND HUMANE AND FINAL
YEARS.
WE HAVE A FULL TEAM,
SECRETARY WILKIE I WANT TO GIVE
HIM A SHOUT OUT AND MY REQUEST
SENT OUT FOR A TEAM FROM THE VA
TO GO IN AND HELP US, NOT JUST
US UP STAFFING BUT HELP US
MANAGE.
WE HAVE THREE BIG VETERAN HOMES,
TO GO UP THE THREE PARAMUS BEING
ONE.
>> Martha: GOVERNOR, IF YOU
KNOW.
NO IT’S NOT BUT YOU ARE TALKING
ABOUT THINGS HAPPENING THERE
WERE A FEW WEEKS AGO.
THIS STARTED OVER TWO MONTHS
AGO, THIS PROBLEM.
AND THIS IS ONE -- THIS IS A
STATE RUN FACILITY.
THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY HAS
RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THIS
FACILITY.
SO NOT WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW,
BUT WHAT WERE YOU DOING BACK
THEN?
WE ALL KNEW THESE HOMES WERE THE
MOST VULNERABLE PLACES IN THE
COUNTRY.
SO WHY WASN’T TESTING AND HELP
SURGED TO THEM RIGHT IN THE VERY
BEGINNING, SIR?
>> YOU HAVE GOT TO REMEMBER,
MARTHA, AS A COUNTRY WE STARTED
WITH A PEA SHOOTER ON TESTING.
SO WE HAVE GONE FROM LITERALLY
NOWHERE AND NEW JERSEY IS THE
TOP TESTED STATES IN AMERICA AND
THE LONG-TERM CODE CARE
FACILITIES REMAIN IF NOT NUMBER
PRIORITY IS TO GET FOLKS TESTED
TO.
I CAN’T SPEAK TO THIS GENTLEMAN,
BUT HER QUESTION IS A GOOD ONE.
YOU NEED TO COHORT PATIENTS,
HEALTHY, NEGATIVE TEST FROM
THOSE WHO ARE UNHEALTHY OR
POSITIVELY TESTED APPEARED
AGAIN, I DON’T KNOW THE
PARTICULAR SITUATION.
I WILL TELL YOU THIS, I HAVE
ASKED THE ATTORNEY GENERAL TO
LAUNCH AN INVESTIGATION OF ALL
LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES,
INCLUDING THE VETERANS HOMES, SO
WE WILL FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED
AND WHERE THERE WERE PROTOCOLS
THAT WERE NOT FOLLOWED.
>> Martha: UNDERSTAND.
IF I MAY BEFORE I GO, PRESS YOU
WANT TO QUESTION, WHY DIDN’T
YOU -- I REMEMBER TALKING TO YOU
ABOUT THE EXTRA BEDS EXTRA BEDS
OFFERED TO NEW JERSEY ON THE
COMFORT OF THE JAVITS CENTER.
WHY DIDN’T YOU SAY LET’S MOVE
THESE INDIVIDUALS IN THE HEART
HIT NURSING HOMES TO THE
FACILITIES?
>> THEY DIDN’T GO TO
JAVITS CENTER, COMFORT AND WE
HAVE THREE FIELD STATIONS I WANT
TO GIVE THE ARMY CORPS A SHOUT
OUT TO SET UP.
BUT THEY WERE FORWARDED.
I JUST DON’T KNOW THE TIMING OF
THE SITUATION OF HER HUSBAND AND
BY THE WAY, HE HAS PASSED, GOD
REST HIS SOUL, SO THERE IS
NOTHING WE CAN DO NOW TO GET HIM
BACK.
AGAIN WE COHORT OF PATIENTS AND
A LOT OF FACILITIES DID.
>> Martha: HE SURVIVED CANCER
AND HE SURVIVED A HEART ATTACK
IN KOREA, BUT HE DID NOT MAKE IT
THROUGH THE SITUATION IN THIS
NURSING HOME.
GOD BLESS HIM, AS YOU SAY, AND
WE HOPE THAT THESE FACILITIES
CONTINUE TO GET THE EXTRA CARE
AND ATTENTION THAT THEY NEED.
>> AMEN.
>> Martha: GOVERNOR, THANK YOU