Pa governor Wolf tests negative for coronavirus, issues stay-at-home order for Philly and its suburbs. Other regional and national coronavirus stories below.
By Matt Arco | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
New Jersey now has at least 2,844 coronavirus cases with 27 deaths as officials announced Monday 935 new positive tests on the same day the second state-run testing site opened in Monmouth County and quickly hit capacity due to overwhelming demand.
“There’s clearly community spread going on,” Gov. Phil Murphy said at a news briefing in Trenton Monday. “There’s also a lot more testing going on. As the testing regime expands, we’re going to see these numbers go up in a big way. We are getting a clearer and better sense of how far the coronavirus has already spread.”
The seven new deaths reported Monday five men and two women ranging in age from 57 to 91. Two of those who died were from Bergen County and there was one death each in Warren, Somerset, Union, Passaic and Essex counties. One of the deaths was associated with a longterm care facility and two cases have confirmed to have involved patients with underlying health conditions.
Murphy also announced Monday that residents should expect New Jersey schools to remain closed for “an extended period of time.” No decision has been made on a timetable, he said.
Murphy took sweeping steps Saturday to slow the outbreak by signing executive orders shutting down non-essential retail businesses, canceling all public gatherings and instructing people to “quite simply stay at home.”
“Unless you are needed as part of our front line efforts, please stay home,” Murphy said. “I know the numbers you hear every day are worrying. Each number is a fellow New Jerseyan who needs us. Let’s all do our part.”
The new orders calls for nearly all New Jersey residents to stay in and refrain from travel — except for obtaining food and medicine, seeking medical attention, visiting family and close friends, exercise, and reporting to work at a business that is still open.
The non-essential business shutdown took effect Saturday night. The list of essential businesses that are allowed to keep operating is, according to the state website.
Manufacturing, industrial, logistics, ports, heavy construction, shipping, food production, food delivery, and other commercial operations; and medical facilities where a sick or injured person is given care or treatment, such as doctor’s offices, hospitals, dentist offices, long-term care facilities and other medical offices.
On Sunday, Murphy said he’s “really damned unhappy” to hear stories about New Jersey residents not abiding by his stay-at-home order to combat the coronavirus outbreak and warned Sunday to expected a law enforcement crackdown.
“There’s too many people not paying attention to this. We’ve about had it. We’re not happy,” Murphy said Sunday.
From the Philadelphia Inquirer
Gov. Tom Wolf is expected to issue a “stay-at-home” order today for Philadelphia and its suburbs, as well as Monroe and Allegheny Counties, taking the fight against the coronavirus to a new level by requiring residents to remain inside except for essential trips such as buying food or seeking medical help.
The order will apply to Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery Counties in the southeast, Monroe County in the northeast, and Allegheny County in Western Pennsylvania, according to four sources with knowledge of the governor’s plans.
It was not immediately known when the order will take effect, how long it will last, or what enforcement might entail. Wolf is expected to make the announcement this afternoon, according to the sources, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the plan.
Wolf’s order comes a day after Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney issued a similar order for the city’s 1.6 million residents, which began at 8 a.m. on Monday.
» READ MORE: Gov. Tom Wolf to issue stay-at-home order for 7 counties including Philadelphia, suburbs, and Allegheny County
» READ MORE: Philly’s ‘stay at home’ order to curb coronavirus: Here’s what it means.
» READ MORE: A glossary of coronavirus terms to understand the pandemic
— Angela Couloumbis, Justine McDaniel
12:25 PM – March 23, 2020
Coronavirus frauds spread, preying on Medicare recipients, feds say
Scam artists are preying on older people’s fears by peddling fake tests for the coronavirus to Medicare recipients, a federal law enforcement agency warned on Monday.
The Health and Human Services inspector general’s office said it’s seeing marketing schemes rapidly pivot to offering tests for COVID-19 and “Senior Care Packages” with hand sanitizer or even tout a vaccine, which doesn’t exist. Some marketers falsely claim that President Donald Trump has ordered that seniors get tested.
It’s all a trick to get personal information that can be used to bill federal and state health programs, said Christian Schrank, assistant inspector general for investigations.
“It’s a straight-up ruse to get your Medicare number or your Social Security number under the guise of having a test kit or a sanitary kit sent to you,” Schrank said. Often the caller will hang up as soon as that number is provided.
— Associated Press
» READ MORE: Coronavirus frauds spread, preying on Medicare recipients, feds say 44 minutes ago12:10 PM – March 23, 2020
Gov. Tom Wolf tests negative for coronavirus after exposure concern
Gov. Tom Wolf recently tested negative for the coronavirus after being alerted to a potential exposure, his office said Monday.
The governor was tested after his office was contacted by someone who had been near Wolf and who was showing symptoms of the illness, a spokesperson said. That person was also tested and found to be negative, according to the office.
“The measure was taken out of an abundance of caution,” the spokesperson, Lyndsay Kensinger, said. “We do not have any evidence that the governor has been in contact with a person who has tested positive for COVID-19.”
The governor is working remotely but is not in quarantine.
— Angela 1 hour ago11:45 AM – March 23, 2020
Klobuchar’s husband tests positive, senator says she won’t miss vote on recovery package
Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a former Democraitc presidential candidate, announced Monday morning her husband, John, tested positive for COVID-19. Klobuchar said her husband currently has pneumonia and is on oxygen, but is not on a ventilator.
Klobuchar said she won’t be tested for coronavirus or placed in self-quarantine because her husband has been back home in Minnesota, while she’s been working in Washington, D.C.
“I love my husband so very much and not being able to be there at the hospital by his side is one of the hardest things about this disease,” Klobuchar wrote.
My husband has coronavirus. I love him & not being able to be by his side is one of the hardest things about this disease. So many are going through this & much worse. I pray for him & you & meanwhile I will do all I can to get help to the American people.https://medium.com/@Amy_Klobuchar/statement-from-senator-amy-klobuchar-c4195302844 …
71.2K10:36 AM – Mar 23, 2020Twitter Ads info and privacy18.8K people are talking about this
At least three Republican senators won’t be available to vote on the massive coronavirus relieve bill currently being negotiated due to COVID-19. The Senate currently has no mechanism to vote remotely.
They are:
– Sen. Rand Paul (R., Ky.).Paul tested positive for coronavirus on Sunday after attending an event in Kentucky two weeks ago where several attendees have tested positive
– Sens. Mitt Romney (R., Utah) and Mike Lee (R., Utah). Both Romney and Lee announced on Sunday they will self-quarantine themselves following Paul’s diagnosis. Both are expected to be away for 14 days.
Other senators have placed themselves in self-quarantine and have since re-emerged, including Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.), Ted Cruz (R., Texas, Cory Gardner (R., Colo.), and Rick Scott (R., Fla.).
— Rob Tornoe1 hour ago11:25 AM – March 23, 2020
Pa., N.J. offer mental health assistance during coronavirus lockdowns
As people across Pennsylvania enter the second week of home isolation to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, state health officials reminded residents on Monday that mental health help is available via text.
If you are one of many people struggling with anxiety, depression, or other mental health issues during this time, the Pennsylvania Department of Health said you can text “PA” to 741741, the crisis text line.
PA Department of Health✔@PAHealthDept
Delaware reports 64 confirmed coronavirus cases
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Delaware rose to 64 on Monday morning, following Gov. John Carney’s order for residents to stay at home.
There were 56 cases Sunday. According to health officials, at least six people have been hospitalized, and three are critically ill.
Like Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Delaware announced the closure of nonessential businesses, which will go into effect Tuesday at 8 a.m.
Residents are permitted to leave their homes to go grocery shopping, pick up take-out food purchases, receive medical treatment or care for an immediate relative, and exercise. They can also leave to go to work, if their employer is listed as an essential business.
— Rob Tornoe
Temple, Villanova cancel on-campus commencements
Temple University and Villanova University announced Monday they are calling off their on-campus commencements.
Temple’s had been scheduled for May 7; Villanova’s for May 15.
“While we will not hold the traditional in-person ceremony … we are exploring alternatives to this long-standing celebration of your achievement,” Temple President Richard M. Englert and Provost JoAnne A. Epps said in an email to the campus Monday morning.
Temple also has canceled all on-campus events through May 31, and announced that classes in its first summer session would be held online.
In a campus email. Villanova president the Rev. Peter M. Donohue said, “I will confer your degrees via a live-streamed event.”
An in-person celebration will be held when it is safe, he said.
Classes for the rest of the spring semester will be conducted online, the president said. The university also issued a temporary hiring freeze.
— Susan Snyder 2 hours ago9:55 AM – March 23, 2020
N.J. top court orders release of low-level offenders to thwart spread of coronavirus
New Jersey’s Supreme Court has ordered individuals serving time for low-level offenses in county jails to be temporarily released to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus in correctional facilities.
The order takes effect Tuesday and could mean the release of up to 1,000 people, according to the ACLU of New Jersey, one of the organizations that requested New Jersey take this measure.
“Unprecedented times call for rethinking the normal way of doing things,” Amol Sinha, executive director of the ACLU of New Jersey said, “and in this case, it means releasing people who pose little risk to their communities for the sake of public health and the dignity of people who are incarcerated.”
Individuals are to be temporarily released from jail while New Jersey is under a state of emergency. Once the governor declares the emergency over, judges will decide whether to commute sentences of anyone that has been released. Those who have tested positive for the coronavirus will not be released. County prosecutors can file objections to keep specific people detained, if they believe it is necessary.
— Pranshu Verma
Surgeon general warns: ‘This week, it’s going to get bad’
U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams issued a dire warning for the country Monday as the number of coronavirus cases continues to rise.
“I want America to understand. This week, it’s going to get bad,” Adams said on NBC’s Today show. “We really need to come together as a nation.”
During a separate interview on Fox & Friends, Adams attempted to downplay the hype surrounding two antimalarial drugs President Trump has pointed to in recent days as a possible treatment for coronavirus. Medical experts — including Dr. Anthony Fauci, a member of Trump’s coronavirus task force — have warned the drugs are untested in the treatment of COVID-19.
“Here’s the thing about those drugs — there’s ‘may’ and ‘actually does’. This may be promising … We need to verify through studies that they actually work,” Adams said. “It’s not practical to think we’re going to treat our way out of this problem with new drugs, or with ventilators, or with supplies … We need more people talking about staying at home.”
As of Monday morning, there have been over 35,000 cases of coronavirus across the United States, according to Johns Hopkins University. At least 471 have died.
— Rob Tornoe
Stocks fall despite Federal Reserve’s new emergency efforts
Stocks opened slightly lower Monday despite unprecedented moves announced by the Federal Reserve to keep markets functioning amid the coronavirus outbreak.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average opened down about 1.5%, or about 280 points. The Nasdaq opened down slightly, while the S&P 500 opened down about 1% (about 20 points).
The Federal Reserve announced several new emergency programs Monday morning aimed at helping the economic impact caused by the coronavirus outbreak.
Among the moves are a commitment to buy an unlimited about of government bonds and mortgage securities and a program to buy certain corporate bonds “for the first time in its history,” according to the Washington Post.
“It has become clear that our economy will face severe disruption,” leaders of the Federal Reserve said in a statement. “The Federal Reserve is committed to using its full range of tools to support households, businesses, and the U.S. economy overall in this challenging time.”
Investors are also awaiting news about a massive stimulus deal being worked out in Congress aimed at helping individuals and businesses impacted by the coronavirus outbreak. As of Monday morning, legislators and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin were still working to reach an agreement on the details.
Stocks have dropped over 30% since setting a new record on Feb. 19. Last week, the Dow suffered its worst week since the 2008 financial crisis, dropping 17.3%.
— Rob Tornoe
Pa. top court tosses challenge to Wolf’s ban non-life-sustaining businesses
A divided Pennsylvania Supreme Court dismissed gun rights advocates’ legal challenge to Gov. Tom Wolf’s statewide order closing all “non-life-sustaining” businesses, clearing the way for enforcement of the mandate to begin Monday.
In an order issued late Sunday, the justices denied a petition brought by a Bucks County gun buyer and a Lancaster County gun store owner, who argued that the coronavirus clampdown violated their Second Amendment right to bear arms.
Though, as a body, the appellate court offered no explanation for their decision in their two page order. Three of its justices dissented, saying they were “troubled by the uncertainty” set off by Wolf’s decision and suggested the administration consider a limited exception to gun sellers.
Though Gov. Wolf’s order has been in effect since Thursday, enforcement by the Pennsylvania State Police and the state Liquor Control Board and Department of Health and Agriculture was delayed until Monday morning to give businesses time to prepare and the administration to review thousands of waiver requests from companies and industry representatives around the state.
» READ MORE: Pa. Supreme Court denies legal challenge to Gov. Wolf’s coronavirus clampdown order
— Jeremy Roebuck
