N.J. nursing home deaths drop 64% as vaccinations put major dent in COVID-19 cases Updated Mar 05, 2021; COVID-19 deaths fell sharply in New Jersey’s nursing homes in February as the coronavirus’ second wave ebbed and vaccinations became more widespread. Long-term care facilities recorded at least 147 deaths last month, a 64% drop from January and the first time they declined month-to-month since the summer, according to an NJ Advance Media analysis of state data. That comes as nursing homes, assisted living centers and other senior facilities were given priority when vaccinations launched in late December, with the state’s most vulnerable seniors and the workers who care for them among the first given shots. With those clinics nearly completed, about 80% of long-term care residents and nearly 50% of staff have now been inoculated, the Health Care Association of New Jersey estimates.