Governor Tells Teens Contact Tracers Aren’t Out to Catch Underage Drinking
Governor Tells Teens Contract Tracers Aren’t Out to Catch Underage Drinking
(Bloomberg) -- New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy pleaded with teenage party guests in his hometown to stop resisting contact tracers on the trail of a novel coronavirus outbreak among some attendees.
“This is not a witch hunt to root out anyone who was drinking underage,” Murphy said Friday at a Trenton news conference. “This is about protecting families and communities from a deadly disease.”
Health officials in Middletown, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) from Manhattan and where the governor lives on a gated estate, said about 20 virus cases were detected among a group of 15- to 19-year-olds who attended a house party on or around July 11. Contact tracers, who are trying to alert others to potential exposure, can’t fully do their jobs.
“Unfortunately, responsiveness has been less than satisfactory, with many refusing to answer our questions,” according to a statement from Middletown township, dated July 22. Officials were appealing to parents of the party guests and those who play contact sports or engage in any other activities with them.
New Jersey, an early and hard-hit state, reported 15,765 deaths with a certain or strongly suspected coronavirus link. In recent weeks, the governor has reported an uptick in cases among youth, and he scrapped a July 2 planned return to indoor dining after seeing photos of young people failing to mask and take distance precautions at crowded outdoor venues.
New Jersey, New York and Connecticut -- where the virus peaked months ago -- are advising visitors from 31 states with high infections to quarantine.
“A lot of partying has gone underground,” Murphy said. “It isn’t just the people who are returning from a hot-spot state or visiting a hot-spot state. There is still community spread in New Jersey -- that house party in my hometown is an example.”
To encourage party guests to cooperate, investigators will overlook that some teenagers may have been violating the drinking age of 21, he said.
“It is illegal. Please don’t do it,” Murphy said. But “this is not what this is about.”
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