Garden State Times

Senator Joe Pennacchio (R-26) has urged the New Jersey Department of Health to address a significant disparity in reported COVID deaths in the state's long-term care facilities. Pennacchio's call for clarity comes following revelations from the Montgomery McCracken Independent Review of New Jersey’s Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

In a statement, Pennacchio expressed his concerns, stating, “The Montgomery McCracken review is creating more questions than it is answers to Governor Murphy’s COVID response and we do not know who to believe.” He emphasized the existence of substantial inconsistencies between the data provided by the NJ DOH and the findings of the Montgomery McCracken review.

The discrepancy in COVID death figures is stark. While the NJ DOH COVID Dashboard reports 9221 confirmed COVID deaths in New Jersey's long-term care facilities, the Montgomery McCracken review, referencing CDC data on page 617, indicates that "more than 16,000 residents and many staff members in New Jersey’s LTCF’s have died from Covid-19."

Pennacchio highlighted the urgency of the situation, asserting, “The people of New Jersey deserve to have the correct information from this devastating pandemic. The DOH must immediately explain this discrepancy and ensure the accurate numbers are reported so we can understand exactly what went wrong and how we can better prepare for another future crisis.”

The discrepancies in reported COVID deaths underscore the importance of transparency and accuracy in data reporting, particularly in the context of a public health crisis. Pennacchio's call for clarification aims to provide the residents of New Jersey with a clearer understanding of the impact of the pandemic on long-term care facilities and to facilitate more effective responses to future crises.