National Guard Once Again Deployed to NJ Nursing Homes

National Guard members have been deployed to help out staff at Sussex County long-term care facilities, according to a release from the County Board of Commissioners.

They are part of a deployment of 150 guardsmen to nursing homes around the state, New Jersey National Guard spokeswoman Amelia C. Thatcher told us. Their exact assignments have yet to be determined.

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More than 500 cases have been reported to the state Department of Health,  a number that has increased daily with the recent COVID-19 surge in cases.

Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli and State Police Superintendent Pat Callahan said during Monday’s coronavirus briefing the state had asked the Guard for strike teams to help at long-term care facilities but didn’t mention specific locations where they were needed.

“The staff at these facilities have been particularly hard hit by the latest COVID variant,” Sussex County Commissioner Anthony Fasano. “We believed it was prudent to get them the help they needed before there was a crisis.”

Not the Guard's first time at nursing homes

Guard members were sent to state veterans homes and the former Andover Subacute facilities in Sussex County in 2020. Guard members handled office and support tasks such as preparing meals to free up staff to help with medical duties

During the spring of 2020, the facility, which is now called the Woodland Behavioral and Nursing Center, stored 17 bodies in makeshift morgues. Sparta police helped remove the bodies.

The commissioners continue to seek answers from the state about those deaths but say the state refuses to respond to their OPRA requests for documents.

“The state is responsible to see that what happened in 2020 never happens again,” added Commissioner Chris Carney. “That's why we keep a constant eye on those nursing homes within our county, and when we see a problem, we push the state to get residents the help they need to stay safe.”