Gov. Phil Murphy (D) recognized a 24-year-old North Bergen EMT who died from COVID-19 during his daily press briefing in Trenton this afternoon, thanking him for his public service.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“Kevin … was an EMT in North Bergen and at St. Claire’s hospital. A Paterson native, he and his wife, Marina, called Pompton Lakes home. Kevin was only 24 years old. Bless him. We thank him for his service. For an extraordinary lifetime. For his service to our state and our families,” Murphy said.
” … Kevin is a stark real life example … none of us are immune to this.”
A candlelight vigil is scheduled for Friday from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. to honor Leiva at the Passaic EMS headquarters on Grove Street, according to NJ Advance Media.
On Monday, Murphy had identified the Township of North Bergen, along with West New York, as “hot spots” in the state likely to see a rise in COVID-19 cases in the coming days.
North Bergen announced 39 coronavirus-related fatalities as of yesterday, with 30 of them being patients at three local long-term health care facilities, as HCV first reported.
Murphy also took a few moments to commemorate the life of Rev. H. Gene Sykes, who Mayor Jimmy Davis had described as “one of Bayonne’s most prominent clergymen” shortly after his passing.
The New Jersey Department of Health has disclosed that there are now 51,027 cases of the coronavirus statewide, along with 1,700 deaths, including 5,879 cases in Hudson County and 132 deaths – the third most in the state by county.
