MORRIS COUNTY — Since their formation, community colleges have seen their communities through many challenging times, including the training of veterans from World War II and the unemployed during the Great Recession of 2007-09. During this current time of crisis, community colleges, their faculty, students, graduates, staff and administration once again are making significant impacts in their communities.

Along with helping students to move forward with their education in an online format, County College of Morris (CCM) is offering assistance to the community to support residents during these challenging times. Since March 30, the campus has been serving as a COVID-19 Testing Center for Morris County in coordination with the Morris County Office of Emergency Management, the Morris County Sheriff’s Department, Morris County Park Police, Randolph Township Police Department and Atlantic Health System. Helping with that effort are staff from CCM’s Departments of Public Safety and Plant and Maintenance, who are serving as traffic directors, site monitors and in other roles as needed.

The college also has donated equipment to Morristown Medical Center, including five ventilators, 325 N95 masks and 3,000 gloves. In addition, at the request of Atlantic Health Systems, the college’s engineering lab coordinator is creating face shields on the college’s 3-D printers for healthcare workers. The shields are being created based on specifications provided by Atlantic Health. The college is able to create about 15 a day.

Meanwhile, CCM graduates are working in healthcare facilities throughout the county and region as nurses, respiratory therapists and radiographers.

Included among them are two recent graduates, Jeremy Friedland ’19, of Parsippany, a graduate of the Nursing Program; and Melanie New ’19, of Vernon, a graduate of the Respiratory Therapy Program, both of whom are on the front line of helping COVID-19 patients at Morristown Medical Center. Another is Cassidy Grady ’19, of Lake Hopatcong, a graduate of the Respiratory Therapy Program, a full-time night respiratory therapist at Saint Barnabas Medical Center. CCM has trained approximately half of the nurses and roughly 90 percent of the respiratory therapists who work in Morris County.

“County College of Morris is proud to support our healthcare providers. Many of these individuals are CCM alumni. For this reason, we often say that today’s graduates are tomorrow’s heroes. The men and women who work in health care are literally putting their lives at risk to help others. We are extremely grateful to all of them and appreciate their service and devotion to helping those in need,” said Dr. Anthony J. Iacono, CCM president.

With all classes now online at CCM and the college working remotely, several students and employees found they were lacking the technology to make the transition. To assist them, the college on Saturday, April 4, distributed nearly 40 laptops at a special distribution event staffed by several CCM employees. Also distributed at the event was other equipment students require to continue their classwork, such as art and photography supplies and pottery wheels and clay.

Further supporting students, the CCM Foundation has increased its focus on raising funds for the Titan Emergency Fund. That fund provides students with financial support to meet unexpected expenses, from car repairs, to food, housing, medical and other issues, so they can stay on track to graduate.

MORRIS COUNTY — In a news cycle filled with reports about the coronavirus-related illness and hospitalizations, information about two infants surrendered at Safe Haven sites in the state was easily overlooked.

“This is good news, that two little babies have been saved in the midst of all of this stress and suffering,” said Senator Anthony M. Bucco, a long-time advocate for the Safe Haven program and sponsor of a law requiring public schools to provide instruction on the “New Jersey Safe Haven Infant Protection Act.”

“It is difficult to imagine the stress and despair the mothers of these babies were under,” Bucco said. “It is bittersweet. Thankfully, they found the strength to help themselves and their children and utilized a Safe Haven to legally and anonymously surrender the infants.”

In August 2000, the Safe Haven Infant Protection Act, sponsored by Bucco’s father, then-Senator Tony Bucco, became law.

Introduced to address a growing trend in infant abandonments, the Safe Haven act allows a distressed parent who is unable or unwilling to care for an infant to give up custody of a baby who is less than 30 days old, safely, legally and anonymously at a hospital emergency room or police station in the state.

Since Safe Haven was enacted, 76 babies have been rescued, according to the State’s New Jersey Safe Haven web site.

“The Safe Haven program is a life-saver,” Bucco said. “Life is precious, and parents should know that if they feel they can’t keep an infant safe, there are options.”

Every city and town in New Jersey has at least one Safe Haven site, Bucco noted.

MORRIS COUNTY — Amid reports that the state’s long-term care facilities are failing to properly notify staff, caregivers and families of COVID-19 outbreaks, Assemblyman Kevin J. Rooney is calling on the Department of Health to force compliance with their updated directives and state law.

Under state law that went into effect in February, nursing homes must have outbreak response plans that include policies regarding notifying residents, staff and families. The law was in response to an adenovirus outbreak at a Wanaque nursing home that killed 11 children.

“It is heartbreaking to see loved ones in despair because the facilities are not answering the phone lines or communicating on how their family member is currently doing,” said Rooney (R-Bergen). “The lack of transparency at many of these facilities has to be fixed immediately to protect the staff, the residents and their family who are suffering in silence.”

Last week, the health department issued directives requiring nursing homes to notify their residents and staff, along with residents’ families, about cases of coronavirus within their facilities. The facilities were to comply with the orders by Monday. It is not clear how many facilities did not meet the deadline.

“Clear communication is critical right now. These are life and death situations. Nearly half of those who died are 80 or older,” explained Rooney.

At the governor’s daily coronavirus briefing Thursday, it was reported that 262 of the state’s 375 long-term care facilities have at least one positive case of COVID-19. There are 3,388 residents in long-term care, assisted living and dementia care facilities testing positive. Twenty of the new 198 coronavirus-related deaths Thursday were residents of these facilities.

The state’s three veteran homes have also been affected by the coronavirus, particularly the facility in Paramus, which reported 40 cases. In total, veteran homes have 58 positive cases and 13 deaths.

“Our veterans, our nursing home residents, health care workers and their loved ones deserve better,” said Rooney. “Family can’t visit their loved ones right now and some facilities are cutting off other forms of contact. It’s unacceptable.”

The health department said residents of nursing homes and staff members must be notified in person and in writing of a coronavirus outbreak. Families or whoever is designated responsible for the resident must be reached by telephone, email or another form of communication within 24 hours and in writing within three days. Notification must happen when a resident or staff member has a confirmed case or is under investigation for coronavirus.

MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County has risen to 2599 and increase of 150 cases since last report from Wednesday, April 8.  (Click here to read previous article.)

The figures reflect open COVID-19 positive cases as of the date and time indicated, not cases which have been closed, some cases which may be pending, or have yet to be entered into the system.

The County of Morris, in partnership with Atlantic Health, is offering drive-thru COVID-19 testing at the County College of Morris, Dover Chester Road, Randolph, NJ 07869, in parking lot 1. Testing is scheduled beginning 9:00 a.m. and is for Morris County residents only. There is no fee for the test.

To sign up for an appointment online click here for details.

The figures reflect COVID-19 positive cases as of the date and time indicated, some cases which may be pending, or have yet to be entered into the system.

Please note the following limitations and provisos related to the data above:

• COVID-19-related deaths are not included in this data.
• Pursuant to HIPAA, specific identifying health information of persons testing positive or who have passed due to the virus will not be released.
• Data reflects COVID-19 positive cases on dates and times indicated; some cases may be pending and are not yet entered.
• Data may not include cases with incomplete or incorrect street addresses or PO boxes. Such cases require additional investigation by local health officials.
• Figures do not include persons under quarantine/isolation due to exposure and who have not tested positive.
• The numbers, especially higher numbers, do not necessarily reflect community spread in a specific town. Various factors may be related to high numbers, such as increased testing and facilities with high-risk populations.
• This data should not be used to gauge if heightened precautions are needed in specific towns. Social distancing, hand hygiene, and preventive steps must be followed at all times regardless of the number of cases in a municipality.