Coronavirus delivers hellish circumstances as with war
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy appeared on WFAN’s “Moose and Maggie Show” Tuesday morning which played in my car during a trip back to Trenton from Asbury Park beach.
It’s a ghost town except for a few joggers who moved down Ocean Ave. near Second Ave. Asbury Park government officials closed the boardwalk last week. Posted signs noted “Asbury Park Boardwalk Closed until further notice. Visit www.cityofasburypark.com for updates.
The Covid-19 War of 2020 has reached Asbury Park which joined a growing number of beaches closed as the virus sweeps across the Garden State, nation and world. The boys of summer may not return in 2020 although Gov. Murphy moved a conversation away Memorial Day weekend, always the big kickoff for Jersey beaches.
Even The Stone Pony, made famous by rock star Bruce Springsteen and a backdrop that included Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes, is closed tighter than switchblade knives, forced to cancel shows that would lead up to opening of the bar’s popular outdoor stage.
Murphy, who interviewed for approximately 25 minutes on the Sports Radio (66 AM, 101.9 FM) station, wisely kept his focus on the daily crisis although he did note that Coronavirus issues may breach into May and into the summer season.
“It is a war. And we don’t win wars when we panic. We certainly don’t win wars with business as usual, just as importantly. So the key for us is to be smart, aggressive, proactive, be straight with each other — in other words, we’ve got to tell folks the facts just as we see them, where we are, where we’re headed. We cannot turn on each other,” Murphy said during his telephone interview.
“We’re waging two wars at the same time. One is the social distancing, stay home, crack the back of the curve. And if we could do that, we don’t swamp the health care system. And on the health care system side, building out capacity as best we can.”
Straight answers rank as an important objectives for the City of Trenton as we face a worthy enemy. And while people may criticize officials who identify this serious health emergency as war, this certainly looks, feels and smells like a World War as bodies pile up in China, Italy, Spain, France and the United States which now leads with most infections and appears destined to deliver the most casualties.
War is hell. And if people who offer calculations about the potential Covid-19 death totals are correct, 100,000 or more, potentially 200,000, then it’s ultimately important to understand that war offers harsher conditions and challenges to those people on the bottom or lower rungs of social ladders.
Marty Johnson, CEO of Isles, Inc., a successful organization that promotes self-help initiatives with a mission to foster self-reliant families in healthy, sustainable communities, made these comments recently via an Isles, Inc. newsletter.
“These are unusual times– to say the least! We take pride in Isles’ culture. It pushes us to ask hard questions about our mission, and to continually learn. But now we must react to COVID-19, an unprecedented threat to the health and stability of those we serve.”
“The virus does affect everyone, but not equally. Communities like Trenton will be the hardest hit. They are densely packed. Their residents will be the first to be laid off, with fewer savings, limited health care access, reliance on school for food, and so much more.”
Understand this one kernel of information. If the United States has suffered approximately 4,000 deaths from Covid-19 and health officials predict 100,000 fatalities, where will the numbers escalate?
Likely in areas where people lack affordable health care, such as rural and urban communities.
While Murphy handled important questions pitched by Moose and Maggie, especially about hospitals, ventilators, emergency rooms, the economy and other insightful inquiries, no questions were asked about our state’s poor. They will suffer the most and face challenges regarding health, food insecurity, public safety, education, addiction and myriad concerns.
Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora told The Trentonian that the current health crisis lurks as “Sad, sad and it’s going to get worse before it gets better. The wave hasn’t touched this area.”
And while Coronavirus will extract thousands of people from the face of the earth, this health crisis delivers an emotional tsunami as people live with fear, anxiety and a proliferation of depression. While health officials instruct us to keep six-feet of distance from others, a suggestion here presses for outreach. Call a friend, family member or emergency hotline if you’re struggling with the pressures of this crisis.
“I would just say folks with anxiety, I completely understand it,” Gov. Murphy said. “Who wouldn’t have it right now?”
This is war.
Learn what precautions you can take about the Coronavirus.
•Call the NJ Coronavirus & Poison Center Hotline at 1-800-2221222 or 1-800-962-1253 if using out-of-state phone line.
•Have general questions about COVID-19? The NJ Poison Control Center and 211 have partnered with the State to provide information to the public on COVID-19. Call: 2-1-1
Trained healthcare professionals are standing by to answer your call 24/7 OR visit nj.gov/health