A Monmouth County family is dealing with tragedy after losing four family members to the coronavirus and three more reportedly being hospitalized.
Grace Fusco, 73, was the family’s mother. She died while being treated at CentraState Hospital in Freehold. Rita Fusco Jackson, 56, and 53-year-old Vincent Fusco also died while at CentraState. A fourth relative, Carmine Fusco, died while being treated in Pennsylvania.
One of the daughters told News 12 New Jersey what the sudden loss has been like.
“By the time we got over my first sister, it settled in our brains, we got the next call. I listened to those doctors and machines code my mother on the phone,” she said.
The family is heavily involved with their church St. Robert Bellarmine.
“They can't even gather to grieve together and to be together because they are all in quarantine. So, it's devastating for them as a family,” says Monsignor Sam Sirianni.
There was a recent family gathering and it's believed that's where they became ill.
Monmouth County officials did not comment on this family. But they are continuing to push the need to stop the spread of the virus.
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"Social distancing cannot be more important now than you will ever hear this word stated,” says Monmouth County Freehold Tom Arnone.
All Monmouth County buildings will be off-limit to the public until at least April 3. Freeholders are stressing that the numbers of those with coronavirus will go up now that testing is increasing.
Meanwhile, a COVID-19 testing site is expected to open on Monday, according to state officials. It will be located in the parking lot of the PNC Arts Center in Holmdel.
But Sheriff Shawn Golden stressed that the site was not yet open for the public and said that no one should be going to the site over the weekend.
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