GOV. PHIL MURPHY – Tom's Blog

“It happened so quick”

National File – MARCH 18, 2020

James Cai, 32-year-old physician’s assistant working in New Jersey was the first confirmed case of coronavirus in the entire Garden state.

In a statement provided to CBS, Cai delivers a warning; He has only gotten worse since his positive COVID-19 test, and we are not being told about all the possible underlying conditions that happen when you get coronavirus.

After checking into an Urgent Care, Cai was sent to the emergency room at Hackensack University Medical Center, and has been in the ER since Tuesday. Cai self-reports his experience with developing several unreported underlying conditions of the coronavirus.

Cai told CBS he strongly disagrees with health officials who say face masks are not necessary. Cai is against advice that face masks are unnecessary. “A lot of people say, ‘It’s OK, don’t wear masks,” says Cai. “I don’t believe that.”

“It happened so quick,” Cai says.

“The virus is everything. Diarrhea, watery eyes, shortness of breath, chest pain, you name it. High fever. … Every day is getting worse. People have to take the coronavirus seriously. It’s very serious,” Cai told CBS.

New Jersey Governor, Phil Murphy, announced the first case of confirmed coronavirus on Wednesday. “We take this situation very seriously and have been preparing for this for weeks,” says Governor Murphy.

Cai visited a Westin hotel in Midtown, Manhattan, and the King David nursing and rehabilitation facility in Brooklyn prior to contracting the virus. The staff of the King David identified Cai to the New York Post after suspicions were circulating as to where he contracted coronavirus. There were 11 confirmed cases of Wuhan virus at the time of his visit to the rehab and nursing facility.

Since Cai became the first confirmed case of coronavirus in New Jersey, five new cases have been confirmed in the state. There are no confirmed deaths in the state of New Jersey, yet in the U.S. death tolls have hit 68. There are 3,487 total confirmed cases in the United States as of the time of this publication, but experts believe the actual number is significantly higher.

A local news report revealed that the state of New Jersey awarded $3.8 million in financial aid to illegal immigrants during the 2018-2019 school year.

According to a report from NJ.com, the state of New Jersey gave $3.8 million in financial aid to 749 illegal immigrant students in the last academic year. More than a quarter of the funding went to 328 illegal immigrants that attend Rutgers University.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed a law last year that allowed illegal immigrants to apply for financial aid. Prior to the signing, illegal immigrants were permitted to apply to pay in-state tuition at public universities but they were not eligible for financial aid.

Murphy, who supports the spending, hit back at Republican critics by arguing that giving financial aid to illegal immigrants is compatible with American values.

“I’d even invite any of those folks who have that attitude, beginning with our president, to come on into this room and allow me or any of us to say, ‘This is the United States of America,’” Murphy said at the time.

David J. Socolow, executive director of the state’s Higher Education Student Assistance Authority, defended the state’s decision to offer financial aid to illegal immigrants.

“This financial assistance offers these New Jersey students a life-changing opportunity,” Socolow said in a brief comment.“The successes of these first 513 students, who are now attending county colleges, state colleges and universities, and independent institutions around the state, will have a positive impact on countless additional lives.”

According to the report, there is currently no limit on the amount of illegal immigrant students that are permitted to receive financial aid from the state of New Jersey. State lawmakers forecast that they will spend approximately $5 million on financial aid for illegal immigrants each year.