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New Jersey’s nursing homes have been especially hard-hit by the coronavirus, with 379 long-term care facilities reporting an outbreak and case numbers reaching past 8,209, according to new data released on Thursday. There have been at least 720 coronavirus-related deaths reported from 375 nursing homes and 200 assisted living facilities statewide. The new data comes after a report revealed that an anonymous tip led to the staggering discovery of 17 dead bodies inside a New Jersey nursing home. The facility, Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation Center I and II, reported 68 deaths linked to the coronavirus outbreak among the community’s members.
Nursing homes have been epicenters of the coronavirus outbreak since it first emerged in the country. The illness, which puts those over the age of 60 at high risk of severe complications, has swept through facilities that are experiencing staffing and protective equipment shortages, according to the Associated Press.