TRENTON, N.J. – Governor Phil Murphy has used the word “data” more than just about any other throughout his many COVID-19 tweet rants and daily briefings. According to Phil? He lives by the data. It guides all. It determines all.
What happens when the data no longer tells the story you want to tell?
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Check this out; you might’ve missed it if you don’t regularly check covid19.nj.gov or listen to the press conferences:
Reported long-term care N.J. deaths as of 5/18 -> 5,408
Reported long-term care N.J. deaths as of 5/19 -> 4,295
Congratulations, Governor Murphy: you’re one of only a handful of men in world history (including Frank Hague and Jesus Christ) to raise the dead!
But seriously, what really happend? News12’s Alex Zdan explains that the state is now sticking to “report lab-confirmed” COVID-19 deaths; they’re still reporting (but displaying in a significantly smaller font) the facility-reported death toll which is much higher (see above).
The Murphy Administration is getting a ton of well-deserved grief for the utter carnage at state long-term care facilities. This might be the latest – and most sloppily executed – attempt to downplay the damage.
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