OCEAN COUNTY – The advice is pretty consistent across the board from officials: use good hygiene and educate yourself.
While this might be good advice in any situation, right now it’s what health and education officials are saying in order to keep people safe and keep children from getting sick from the coronavirus, otherwise known as COVID-19.
There are no cases of the disease in Ocean County right now, according to the Ocean County Health Department (OCHD). At the time this article was written, 13 county residents that recently traveled to outbreak areas were being monitored but none of them developed any symptoms. They were cleared. Four additional Ocean County residents have been forwarded to the department for follow up.
“The OCHD has been closely monitoring the COVID-19 outbreak from day one and is working diligently with federal, state and local agencies to share information and offer guidance regarding response strategies. We are also in the process of putting together agency and community-wide task forces to asses and reinforce local readiness,” said Daniel Regenye, OCHD Public Health Coordinator. “On the county level, we’ve been in close communication with the Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders, Ocean County Sheriff Michael G. Mastronardy, superintendent of schools, our faith-based leadership, local law enforcement and public health providers to keep lines of communication open as we move forward.”
The county is getting guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), and the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH), said Freeholder Gerry P. Little, Liaison to the Ocean County Board of Health. “The good news is that we learned so much from some of the recent emerging health issues such as Ebola, H1N1 and most recently, the measles outbreak last year. Emergency readiness plans are regularly being updated and modified in the event any unique or special issues arise.”
The Health Department and local schools have been putting out messages to residents and parents about what to do and what not to do. Most of the bullet points are the same. They are summed up here:
- Wash hands often, with soap and water, for at least 20 seconds, especially after coughing or sneezing. Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
- Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or into your sleeve, not your hands.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
- Keep your children home when they are sick. Children should not return to school unless they have been fever-free without medication for 24 hours.
- Stay home if you are sick.
- Avoid people who are sick.
- Clean and disinfect regularly.
- Get a flu shot – it’s not too late to be protected (the county health department gives them for free).
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces and objects.
- Encourage a “do not share” rule this season: food, drink, lip balm, pencils, etc.
- Review and follow CDC travel advisories when planning travel. If you become ill after returning home to the United States, call your healthcare provider before going to a doctor’s office or emergency department of a hospital. They may want to place a mask on you before you enter the building to protect other people.
The health department stated that the coronavirus is believed to be less contagious than measles. That specific comparison was drawn because the county recently had a measles outbreak. Therefore, officials said, the plans and protocols for outbreaks are still in place.
“We would like to stress that preparedness begins at home. And while there isn’t a vaccine and still so many unknowns surrounding COVID-19, the message is the same that we stressed during the recent measles outbreak and every flu season – and that’s to take a common sense approach to prevent any spread of the virus by adhering to simple hand and respiratory hygiene,” said Patricia High, OCHD Assistant Public Health Coordinator.
Educating people is a big part of this campaign. With new information – and some disinformation – coming out constantly, health care providers have a lot of work to do to get current, accurate messages out to the public.
For the latest information on COVID-19, look for the link on the upper right of the OCHD Website (OCHD.org) that leads you to the NJDOH COVID-19 page. Or, call their hotline available around the clock for questions at 1-800-222-1222. OCHD has also set up a hotline number for residents
questions regarding the coronavirus. The number is 732-341-9700 ext. 7741.
Schools Preparing
School officials said they have been taking steps to prevent the disease from taking a foothold here.
“We are certainly paying attention and mobilizing to do what we can to be informed, be prepared and be proactive to help keep everyone healthy,” said Jackson Superintendent of Schools Stephen Genco. “While we here in the district focus on being vigilant with our cleaning and sanitizing protocols, we also encourage our parents, students and staff to do what they can to follow the guidelines from health officials. That is key.”
Some of the district’s efforts include enhancing the daily cleaning regimen, including disinfecting items that are touched by multiple people a day. These include door knobs, bathroom fixtures, bus seats and desks.
The same can be said of Berkeley Township School District, which has also been enhancing the daily cleaning and sanitizing in the buildings and in the buses.
“We continue to monitor information from the CDC about cases of the coronavirus within the United States and are following current guidance provided by the New Jersey Department of Education and the New Jersey Department of Health. We will continue to post updated information that we receive from the New Jersey Department of Education on our district Facebook page,” said Superintendent James Roselli. “The Department of Health recommends that all families with a child who (within the past few weeks) has traveled to an area of the world highly impacted by the coronavirus, to please contact their child’s principal and/or school nurse prior to sending their child back to school.”
Federal Level
Congressmen who serve Ocean County also spoke up about the health situation.
Congressman Chris Smith (R-4th), the Ranking Member of the House global health subcommittee, called for emergency funding for the CDC and other federal agencies.
“The Trump administration is requesting at least $2.5 billion in additional funding to combat the coronavirus,” said Smith. “The President, Secretary Azar, and others have moved swiftly to identify comprehensive ways to protect US citizens and prepare for a potential pandemic.
“We cannot afford to underestimate the potential risk to Americans across the country,” Smith said. “We must bring to bear the full expertise, weight and resources of the federal government to help mitigate the dangers and foster real protection going forward,” he said.
Congressman Andy Kim (D-3rd) said he’s been speaking with health experts in the area to see what is needed.
“I convened a call with leaders from major hospital systems and health departments across Ocean and Burlington Counties to hear their concerns about the coronavirus and ensure that our local hospitals and health care organizations have the resources and support they need to keep us safe,” he said. “Across the board, the feedback I got from these leaders is simple: we must communicate safety measures to limit the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus and ways that people should seek treatment. I also heard loud and clear the calls for more resources to help hospitals and health departments prepare for a potential spike in cases throughout New Jersey.”
He said this will be the first of many conversations he’ll have with community stakeholders and health care leaders. In Congress, he said he will be pushing his colleagues “to take decisive action to make sure our local leaders have everything they need to be prepared.”
-Bob Vosseller contributed to this story
