The US state of New Jersey, the most affected by the coronavirus epidemic after New York, will authorize foreign doctors to temporarily exercise on its territory, the first American state to take such a measure, announced its governor on Friday.
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The New Jersey attorney " will begin issuing temporary emergency permits to doctors with foreign licenses, " said Governor Phil Murphy on his Twitter account. " We are the first state to draw on the tremendous wealth of knowledge and experience " in the face of the epidemic, he added. The governor did not specify exactly when the first permits would be issued in this state of some 9 million inhabitants, neighbor of New York, which already recorded more than 3800 deaths and more than 78.000 confirmed cases of Covid-19.
Faced with the epidemic, many American states have indicated that they are short of qualified medical personnel and have asked for reinforcements. New York State, the epicenter of the epidemic, has called for the rescue of doctors and nurses from the rest of the country, as well as retired caregivers or students at the end of medical studies.
A New York Times investigation recently pointed out that foreign doctors and nurses were ready to come to the United States as backup, but were prevented from doing so due to visa restrictions or travel restrictions introduced in the face of the pandemic.
