Report: New Jersey and US were not prepared for COVID-19 and state remains so for the next crisis

By WAYNE PARRY
Associated Press

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — An independent report has found New Jersey and the nation were not prepared when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and the state remains underprepared for the next emergency. The report released Monday examined New Jersey’s response to the pandemic that sickened nearly 3 million people in New Jersey and killed over 33,000. The report was led by a former assistant state attorney general now in private practice. It faults planning, communication and decision-making before and during the pandemic that erupted in March 2020. But it also says mask mandates and vaccination campaigns helped fight the spread of the virus. Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy requested the report in late 2022.