New Jersey is on its way to creating a memorial that will honor frontline healthcare workers who succumbed to Covid-19, after Gov. Phil Murphy on Friday signed a bill forming a commission for the memorial.
The commission, which will consist of nine members appointed by the governor, will be tasked with designing and constructing the memorial. Murphy has not said yet who he will appoint to the commission, but special consideration will be given to frontline and healthcare workers from New Jersey, including police and fire personnel, people with knowledge of erecting monuments, and those with experience in grant funding and business administration.
It isn’t clear exactly how many healthcare workers have died from Covid-19 in New Jersey, but it is believed to be several hundreds.
The bill signed by Gov. Murphy also calls for a Covid-19 Frontline and Healthcare Worker Memorial Fund to be set up in the state’s Treasury Department which will be able to receive donations and government funding for the memorial project.