Gov. Murphy: Sharp Increase In NJ Gun Deaths Amid Coronavirus

NEW JERSEY — Gov. Phil Murphy said Wednesday he's concerned about a sharp increase in fatal shootings amid the coronavirus outbreak. Murphy made the statement during a news conference as he announced that New Jersey has 396 additional coronavirus cases and 27 more deaths (you can watch the news conference here, below).

The update comes as the number of coronavirus cases rose to 176,278 and as 13,660 confirmed deaths have been reported in New Jersey. Read more: NJ Coronavirus, Reopen Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

Col. Patrick J. Callahan, superintendent of the New Jersey State Police, said the state's fatal shootings have increased 19 percent over last year's year-to-date number, rising from 84 to 100 victims.

He said there were 39 shooting victims within the past week, with 13 succumbing to their injuries.

"We're certainly concerned about it, governor, because we're seeing way too many shootings and the likelihood of it continuing through the warm summer months gives us a tremendous amount of concern," Callahan said during the news conference.

Murphy said New Jersey is "not immune to what we're seeing around the country in terms of this lethal cocktail of being pent up," with people coming to grips with closures and unemployment amid the hot summer.

Murphy said New Jersey, like the rest of the nation, is dealing with the fallout over the death of George Floyd, and the country is showing anger and frustration over the lingering "stain of racism."

"The cocktail could not be more challenging," Murphy said. "You've got gobs of people out of work. You've got small businesses that have been crushed."

Murphy said many people also face numerous mental and physical health challenges as they deal with the consequences of the pandemic.

"That's almost an unprecedented combination of factors," he said.

Indeed, since Tuesday, the attorney general's office has been conducting an investigation of a fatal officer-involved shooting in Morris County, according to authorities. Read more: Fatal Police-Involved Shooting Under Investigation In Morris Twp.

Murphy's statement also comes just as U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti denied a request from movie theater owners to reopen for business during the COVID-19 pandemic, although the issue is far from being resolved. Read more: NJ Movie Theaters Lose Bid To Reopen Amid Coronavirus

Murphy also said more states all have significant community spread of the coronavirus, and New Jersey is taking more steps to protect itself by adding them to its travel quarantine. Read more: NJ Expands Coronavirus Travel Quarantine Again

Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal and the Division of Consumer Affairs also announced new measures to promote access to mental health and substance use disorder services and treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic, including a new program to make it easier for recent graduates of social work and counseling programs to start practicing.

In a series of recent actions, the division took steps to expand New Jersey’s mental health workforce and access to treatment by:

• Creating a program to grant temporary emergency licenses to individuals who recently graduated with a master’s degree or doctorate in social work or counseling but who have not yet been able to take and pass their licensing exams due to the COVID-19 emergency;
• Granting psychologists practicing under supervision a 1-year extension of their permits, allowing them to continue to practice;
• Creating a new pathway for alcohol and drug counselor-interns to provide telehealth and telemedicine services by obtaining a temporary certification; and
• Permanently granting advanced practical nurses more autonomy to treat individuals with substance use disorders through maintenance and detoxification treatment

The emergency programs announced are the latest temporary licensure and certification programs launched by the division to strengthen New Jersey’s healthcare workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to facilitate recent graduates’ entry into the work force despite their inability to take licensing examinations due to the pandemic, according to an OAG press release.

Prior programs focused on increasing the number of doctors, nurses, respiratory care specialists and other medical professionals needed to fight the COVID-19 virus.

“The COVID-19 pandemic not only threatens our physical health but also increases risks to mental health,” said Grewal. “The actions announced today will help ensure that New Jersey has a robust mental health and addiction workforce capable of delivering the services that our residents need during these difficult times.”

While it is too early to measure the pandemic’s full impact on the public’s mental health and rates of substance abuse, recent surveys conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Census Bureau found that the percentage of New Jersey respondents who reported experiencing symptoms of anxiety disorder or depressive disorder within the previous week ranged from 31.1 to 39.6 percent during a period from April through June, according to the release.

Watch Murphy here:

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