Coronavirus Nightmare: Report Gives Insight Into How Corpses Ended Up Stacked Up Inside Andover Senior Home
ANDOVER, N.J. (CBSNewYork) - The assisted living home in Andover that had bodies stacked up in a small room is facing more than $220,000 in fines after a recent investigation.
The penalty comes as the National Guard appeared in full gear and on the ground at Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation Center in Sussex County, reports CBS2's Cory James.
The deployment comes just one day after an investigation revealed the facility where more than a dozen bodies were stacked inside a makeshift morgue back in April was not in "substantial compliance with federal requirements."
CBS2 obtained a copy of the report that is not yet public. It details cases where a physician's note revealed a resident who likely had COVID-19 and was "found dead this AM... not performed physical COVID-19 test."
Another instance showing "no documentation of coronavirus monitoring was found" involving a resident who died after having temperatures of 104 degrees or more.
Anita Brown told CBS2 weeks ago her mom also had a similar experience.
"They called us last night and they told us she had a 104 fever and that she had low oxygen and they weren't going to send her to the hospital," she said.
Congressman Josh Gottheimer is outraged over the latest news.
"They were putting sick people with healthy people," he said. "I don't understand how the management of this place allowed that to go on and it's just so heartbreaking for family members."
So far 94 residents and one staff member have died.
CBS2 reached out to speak with the owner, Chaim Scheinbaum, to get his side but he denied a request for an interview.
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Gov. Phil Murphy, addressing the major crisis involving the most vulnerable in the Garden State, said "the inconsistent performance by operators in the long term care facility space is extremely disappointing."
Andover Mayor Michael Lensack says more needs to happen to the people who ran this facility.
"I think that there needs to be criminal charges and possibly jail time," he said.
More fines will be added until the facility reaches substantial compliance.
New Jersey's Attorney General's Office is still investigating this facility.
They are asking anyone who may have evidence on what has taken place there to contact investigators.
