Following a pledge to “learn from our mistakes” after a harsh report detailed New Jersey’s failures during the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Phil Murphy took steps late Friday he said will make sure the state is better prepared for any future public health emergencies.
Murphy signed an executive order creating a task force charged with evaluating recommendations from the $9 million, 910-page report, which found the state fell short in dealing with the crisis.
“At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we were forced to act quickly to safeguard our residents and stop the spread of a virus responsible for tremendous loss of life across the nation,” Murphy said in a statement. “With today’s Executive Order, we are taking decisive action to address gaps in preparedness and set future administrations up for success in combating crises.”
The “Task Force on Pandemic and Emergency Preparedness” will be co-chaired by the commissioner of the state Department of Health, currently Kaitlan Baston, and State Police Col. Patrick Callahan, who was in that position during the pandemic.
“The COVID-19 pandemic presented unforeseen challenges as New Jersey and the rest of the world battled an international health crisis like no other in more than 100 years,” said Callahan, who also serves as the state director of Emergency Management. “Our biggest takeaway is that you can never be too prepared.”
The task force will also include senior officials from across state government whose duties are “central to the independent report’s recommendations to better prepare the State for future pandemics and other emergencies,” the governor’s statement said.
The report, prepared by a team of lawyers and consultants hired by Murphy’s administration, offered 33 recommendations after analyzing the state’s actions during the pandemic, which killed tends of thousands of New Jerseyans, shook the economy and led to schools to be closed down for months.
It concluded neither the state nor federal government “had clear, executable plans in place to respond to and manage such limited resources in an uncertain and rapidly evolving environment,” blaming both for a “collective failure.”
The report cited a 2015 Pandemic/Flu plan compiled by then-Gov. Chris Christie’s administration that could have provided some guidance to the state, but top Murphy officials didn’t know it existed when COVID-19 stuck in March 2020. Also in its findings, the report said schools and businesses could have reopened earlier.
In addition, the report warned New Jersey is underprepared for the next emergency.”
- MORE: Murphy admits COVID mistakes, vows to improve N.J. pandemic response after critical report
- MORE: N.J. is not ready for next crisis, damning $9M COVID report says
- READ: The full report
In a radio interview last week, Murphy promised to implement the report’s list of 33 recommendations over his final two years in office.
New Jerseyans suffered nearly 3 million cases of COVID-19, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. New Jersey recorded 33,693 COVID-19 deaths and listed another 3,000 as “probable” deaths, according to the state Department of Health.
NJ Advance Media staff writers Brent Johnson, Susan K. Livio, and Ted Sherman contributed to this report.
Stories by Karin Price Mueller
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Karin Price Mueller may be reached at KPriceMueller@NJAdvanceMedia.com. Follow her on X at @KPMueller.