A report conducted independently revealed that New Jersey and the entire country were not adequately equipped to handle the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak. The findings also state that the state is not adequately prepared for any future crises. These shortcomings were highlighted after the virus infected almost three million people in New Jersey and claimed the lives of over 33,000 individuals.

The findings of the report published on Monday criticize the preparation, coordination, and choices made both prior to and during the outbreak of the pandemic in early 2020.

The pandemic has been described by Democratic Governor Phil Murphy as the most severe crisis that our state has ever experienced.

He made a commitment to conduct a review of how his government handled the outbreak in its initial stages. The report, which cost $9 million in public funds, was carried out by the legal firm Montgomery McCracken Walker & Rhoads LLP and the Boston Consulting Group. It was overseen by Paul Zoubek, a former assistant attorney general for the state.

“I anticipate that this evaluation will improve New Jersey for the better, and I am eager for my administration to collaborate with the Legislature in implementing its suggested actions,” stated Murphy.

GOP members in the state have heavily criticized Murphy’s handling of the pandemic, particularly his enforcement of mask requirements and closures. However, they have not yet made a public response to the report, as of the beginning of Monday afternoon.

The report was stark in outlining past mistakes that contributed to the pandemic, as well as present ones.

“As a nation and as a state, we failed to adequately prepare,” Zoubek stated. “Although heroic efforts were made at the state level to respond to the crisis, New Jersey is still lacking sufficient preparation for future emergencies, despite the lessons learned in the past four years.”

The report highlighted successes of New Jersey’s handling of the pandemic, specifically mentioning noteworthy improvements made to their systems.

“The state should be commended for taking decisive and proactive measures to significantly decrease the number of individuals affected by implementing shutdowns, quarantines, mask mandates, and social distancing. These actions led to significant improvements in health outcomes throughout the duration of the pandemic. As a result, during the Delta and Omicron waves, New Jersey saw some of the lowest mortality rates among all states,” the report stated.

Additionally, it was reported that New Jersey’s efforts to vaccinate its population and persuade those who were hesitant to get vaccinated played a crucial role in controlling the spread of the virus.

The report stated that despite efforts made, the insufficient healthcare system and lack of essential medical resources could not be overcome. Both the state and federal government lacked effective plans to handle the limited resources in a constantly changing and unstable situation.

According to the report, in 2015 (five years prior to the pandemic), the state health department developed a “pandemic influenza plan” that accurately foresaw the events that would eventually unfold during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the report, while the existence of the plan was not widely known among senior state leaders, several individuals in state government suggested that another agency should have a designated emergency preparedness manager in the event of a pandemic like COVID-19.

According to the report, the position is present and currently occupied at the other agency, although the individuals we interacted with were not aware of this information.

The study also discovered that communal healthcare facilities, including those for veterans, were especially at risk for the spread of the virus due in large part to inadequate infection prevention measures.

The report acknowledged previous criticisms from the U.S. Department of Justice and the State Commission of Investigation, which identified widespread issues in leadership and management. These issues included a systemic failure to follow clinical care policies, inadequate communication between management and staff, and a lack of guaranteeing staff competency. These failures led to the uncontrolled spread of the virus at the facilities.

The report recommended updating and “stress-testing” existing emergency response plans, conducting training and practice exercises across the state for a wider range of emergencies, not just pandemics.

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