No funding for state and local governments
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Ridgewood NJ, In a blow to Governor Murphy, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said earlier Sunday the White House and Congress could reach a deal today on supplemental funding for small businesses. Mnuchin said President Trump is prepared to discuss funding for state and local governments in the next bill while this package focuses on loans to small businesses and hospitals and testing.
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Members of the New Jersey EMS Task Force were throughout the state Saturday to support local, state and national partners in the fight against COVID-19.
New Jersey EMS Task Force teams served in logistics positions Saturday at MetLife Stadium where the second wave of a FEMA deployment of 100 additional ambulances and 450 EMTs and Paramedics began arriving. New Jersey EMS Task Force members spent the day working side-by-side with members of the NJ Department of Health, Office of Emergency Medical Services, FEMA, American Medical Response and the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority.
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ABBOTT PARK Ill., Abbott (NYSE: ABT) announced today the launch of its third COVID-19 test, a lab-based serology blood test for the detection of the antibody, IgG, that identifies if a person has had the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Antibody testing is an important next step to tell if someone has been previously infected. It will provide more understanding of the virus, including how long antibodies stay in the body and if they provide immunity. This type of knowledge could help support the development of treatments and vaccines.
Continue reading ABBOTT LAUNCHES THIRD COVID-19 TEST, A LABORATORY-BASED ANTIBODY BLOOD TEST
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Hackensack NJ, from Hackensack Meridian Health Care , many grocery stores have kept their doors open allowing us to keep our refrigerators and cabinets well-stocked. But the question is: Is it safe to go out for a food run when supplies are running low? Or should we opt for delivery?
Continue reading Safe Grocery Shopping During The COVID-19 Pandemic
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Ridgewood NJ, Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal and the Division of Consumer Affairs today announced that consumers may be eligible for partial refunds or credits from their health club memberships, now that gyms across the state have been closed for 30 days under Executive Orders issued by Governor Phil Murphy to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Continue reading Consumers May Now Be Eligible for Refunds or Credits on Health Clubs Memberships
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Ridgewood NJ, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) announced Wednesday the launch of Operation Stolen Promise to combat COVID-19 related fraud and other criminal activity. The operation intensifies collaboration with multiple federal departments and agencies, along with business and industry representatives. Surging criminal activity surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic requires an equally robust investigative response to protect the American public.
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New bridge Landing NJ, a driver died Tuesday afternoon after his SUV was struck by an NJ Transit train in Bergen County. The Pascack Valley Line train, which was traveling to Hoboken, hit the SUV at 4:40 p.m. just east of the New Bridge Landing Station near the borough’s border with Hackensack. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene . This particular spot had several train car collisions in recent months .
It was unclear exactly where the car was when it was hit by the train, which had only 10 people on board, including crew and passengers Pascack Valley Line service was temporarily suspended at New Bridge Landing station while NJ Transit Police were at the scene investigating and substitute bus service was being provided between Anderson Street and River Edge Station.
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MAHWAH NJ, Frank Pallotta, Republican Candidate for New Jersey’s Fifth Congressional District, made the following statement in response to the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) running out of available funds after Democrats blocked a clean bill that would provide for a $250 billion replenishment:
“While the leader of his Party holds up legislation that has so far given 1.6 million small businesses an average of $207,000 to keep their workers employed, Josh Gottheimer should feel the pain, too. Until he can motivate Nancy Pelosi on behalf of our district to go back to Washington and make a deal, Josh should forgo his paycheck – just as millions in our district will be forced to do without the aid of this program.”
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Rochelle Park NJ, Filipino-American teen trainer Ryan Ang is back at it keeping kids safe against COVID-19 by encouraging them to stay home and instead get basketball training online – and this very welcome news for basketball-crazy Filipinos as Luzon Island has been declared under quarantine.
The 16-year-old Ang went on live streaming over Instagram and Facebook live on Friday, March 17, 2020,(3:30-4:00) to provide free Ang1 Trainings on ball handling to his students and anyone interested in basketball.
Dear Governor Murphy,
We recognize the incredibly difficult challenges you face every day as our beloved State battles the COVID-19 crisis. We have and remain supportive of you and your Administration as we go through this trying time together.
Your decision to close our State parks, however, is wrong for public health and our State’s residents. Your complete closure of parks appears to be based purely on anecdote and without any data or health science to support that decision. As you have repeatedly observed, access to fresh air and exercise for our citizenry, especially during this stressful time, is paramount. For that reason, safely and responsibly using our State’s open spaces should continue to be encouraged, not prohibited.
In the recent past, water safety has become a rising concern. As a result, countertop water filters have quickly found their way to a majority of people’s homes. First, water filters are known for their ability to eliminate some contaminants in the water, hence boosting both the taste and smell. Also, they are quite affordable as compared to adding whole-house systems. Besides, you can’t ignore the fact that water filters are easy to set up. This works to your advantage, especially if you happen to live in a rented place, and for a short time. If you are considering buying your first-ever countertop water filter, the high chances are that you are lost in between the many options available in the market.
Continue reading Top 5 Countertop Water Filters and Their Pros and Cons
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Ridgewood NJ, A Brief Communication article published in Nature presents analysis on temporal trends in viral shedding in COVID-19 patients. The study included data from 94 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients in Guangzhou, China—including 414 total throat swabs taken as long as 32 days after symptom onset—to analyze trends in SARS-CoV-2 viral load.The study also included information on 77 identified transmission events, from both inside and outside China, to analyze SARS-CoV-2 transmission dynamics. The researchers observed high viral load in COVID-19 patients immediately after symptoms presented, which tapered off over a period of approximately 21 days. The researchers concluded that the viral load could potentially peak around the time symptoms present, or possibly slightly earlier. Based on the viral load data and case data from the 77 transmission events, the researchers estimated that 44% of the transmissions occurred during the index case’s pre-symptomatic period and that COVID-19 patients become infectious 2.3 days before symptom onset, with a peak in infectiousness around 0.7 days before symptom onset. The study does not evaluate transmissibility of individuals with asymptomatic infection, and the viral load data may not directly correlate to an individual’s degree of infectiousness. Additionally, the article notes that clinical treatment could affect viral load in COVID-19 patients.
photos by William Thomas
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East Greenwich RI ,While global communities are practicing physical distancing, birds are actively socializing outside our windows, in our trees, bird baths, and feeders. Depending on where you live, birds of all species are migrating, singing, preening, mating, feeding, flying, and building nests. KingBirder, the first online contest to combine the skills of birding with photography, wants you to capture photos of the birds you see safely from your homes or yard in its free bird photography competition entitled “Shelter and Snap!”
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Hackensack NJ, Governor Phil Murphy signed Executive Order No. 124, establishing a process by which the Department of Corrections may grant temporary reprieve to certain at-risk inmates during the public health emergency. The Governor’s Executive Order creates the Emergency Medical Review Committee to make recommendations on which inmates should be placed on temporary home confinement through the Commissioner’s statutory furlough authority. All recommendations to place an individual on home confinement will be made after thorough review and consideration of the conditions that an individual may face in the community.“My Administration’s top priority is the health and safety of all nine million New Jerseyans, including those who are currently incarcerated,” said Governor Murphy. “The correctional setting presents unique challenges to social distancing, particularly for vulnerable populations. Allowing some of our most vulnerable individuals who do not pose a public safety threat to temporarily leave prison will protect both their health, and the health and safety of the men and women working in our correctional facilities. With this action, New Jersey will join several other states, and the federal government, in taking necessary steps to strike a balance between public health, public safety, and victims’ rights.”
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Paramus NJ, Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco has announced that the COVID-19 drive-thru test site at Bergen New Bridge Medical Center is now open to all municipal employees who work in any of the County’s 70 municipalities regardless of residency by appointment seven days per week. Proof of employment within the municipality will be required. Moreover, the test site is also open to all County employees regardless of residency with proof of employment. All governmental employees must be symptomatic to be tested.
