Archives for July 2020

COVID-19 Update #23

7/24/2020

On July 13, Governor Murphy issued Executive Order No. 165 (EO-165) which amended the provisions of Executive Order No. 125 (EO-125). This Executive Order applies to NJ TRANSIT as well as affiliated and non-affiliated private carriers. Some of the key points of EO-165 include the following:

1. NJ TRANSIT may open their trains, buses, and light rail vehicles to the stated maximum seated capacity.
   
   
2. NJ TRANSIT shall continue to require workers and customers to wear cloth face coverings while on trains, buses, and light rail vehicles except where doing so would inhibit that individual’s health or where the individual is under two years of age. Neither NJ TRANSIT nor its workers shall require the individual to produce medical documentation verifying the stated condition.
   
   
3. Require workers and customers to wear cloth face coverings while in indoor portion of any stations, facilities, or premises owned or operated by NJ TRANSIT, except where doing so would inhibit that individual’s health or where the individual is under two years of age.
   
   
4. NJ TRANSIT shall prohibit the consumption of food or beverages and smoking in trains, buses, and light rail vehicles.
   
   
5. When it is not practicable for individuals in the outdoor portion of any stations, facilities, or premises owned or operated by NJ TRANSIT to socially distance and keep a six-foot distance from others, excluding immediate family members, caretakers, household members or romantic partners, consistent with Paragraph 3 of Executive Order No. 107 (2020), all individuals shall wear face coverings.

NJ TRANSIT employees should familiarize themselves with EO-165, which can be found in its entirety here.

As a reminder, all PPE and cleaning supply purchases on P-Cards are prohibited by all business lines except the Procurement unit. Please note:

• NJ TRANSIT now has stock and sourcing for PPE.
• Corporate policy 2.19 states that cleaning supplies are not allowed to be purchased on a P-Card. This provision was relaxed during the start of COVID-19 to maintain operations. Now that we have stock and sourcing for PPE, policy 2.19 will be in effect again.
• PPE and cleaning supplies have been blocked from purchase on Staples and WB Mason sites. Blocked items include:
  • Surgical masks
  • KN-95 masks
  • Cloth masks
  • Nitrile gloves
  • Latex gloves
  • All sizes of hand sanitizer
  • Clorox and Lysol wipes
• PPE and cleaning supplies should not be purchased on your P-Card from any other supplier.
• Paying for services on your P-Card is also not permitted.

On July 8th, Governor Murphy signed an Executive Order requiring individuals to wear face coverings in outdoor public spaces when they cannot social distance. 

Executive Order No.163 requires individuals to wear face coverings in outdoor public spaces when it is not practicable to socially distance and keep a six-foot distance from others, excluding immediate family members, caretakers, household members, or romantic partners, except where doing so would inhibit that individual’s health, where the individual is under two years of age, or in situations where individuals cannot feasibly wear a face covering, such as when eating or drinking at outdoor dining areas.

The Order also reiterates New Jersey’s policy of requiring face coverings in indoor spaces that are accessible to members of the public, such as retail, recreational, and entertainment businesses, areas of government buildings open to the public, and mass transit buses, trains, and stations, again with exceptions for health reasons and children under two.

OUT-OF-STATE TRAVEL ADVISORY UPDATES

New Jersey has issued an incoming travel advisory that all individuals entering New Jersey from states with a significant spread of COVID-19 should quarantine for 14-days after leaving that state.

Under the 14-day quarantine travel advisory, individuals traveling to or returning to New Jersey from states with increasing rates of COVID-19 are advised to self-quarantine for 14 days. This includes travel by train, bus, car, plane and any other method of transportation. Please note that NJ TRANSIT workers have been deemed critical infrastructure employees and are exempt from the quarantine recommendation. Individuals who routinely work in NJ/Delaware are exempt, as well. Of course, numerous people travel back and forth between New Jersey and Delaware for work each day, but are encouraged to work from home if possible. 

The 14-day quarantine travel advisory applies to travel from certain states identified as those that have a positive COVID-19 test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents or have a 10% or higher positivity rate over a seven-day rolling average (“impacted states.”) As of Tuesday, July 21, there are currently 31 states that meet the criteria stated above: 

• Alabama (added 6/24/20)
• Alaska (added 7/21/20)
• Arkansas (added 6/24/20)
• Arizona (added 6/24/20)
• California (added 6/30/20)
• Delaware (re-added 7/21/20)
• Florida (added 6/24/20)
• Georgia (added 6/30/20)
• Iowa (added 6/30/20)
• Idaho (added 6/30/20)
• Indiana (added 7/21/20)
• Kansas (added 7/7/20)
• Louisiana (added 6/30/20)
• Maryland (added 7/21/20)
• Mississippi (added 6/30/20)
• Missouri (added 7/21/20)
• Montana (added 7/21/20)
• Nebraska (added 7/21/20)
• Nevada (added 6/30/20)
• New Mexico (added 7/14/20)
• North Carolina (added 6/24/20)
• North Dakota (added 7/21/20)
• Ohio (added 7/14/20)
• Oklahoma (added 7/7/20)
• South Carolina (added 6/24/20)
• Tennessee (added 6/30/20)
• Texas (added 6/24/20)
• Utah (added 6/24/20)
• Virginia (added 7/21/20)
• Washington (added 7/21/20)
• Wisconsin (added 7/14/20)

Note: Minnesota was removed from the list on 7/21/20.

This list is subject to change and will be updated in this advisory as needed. Consider rescheduling any travel to the affected states until the conclusion of this public health advisory. If you do travel to any of the affected states, please be extra vigilant while travelling and upon your return. Wear the appropriate PPE and, as a reminder, face coverings are required at all NJ TRANSIT work locations. Monitor your health for any COVID-19 symptoms, and if you’re feeling symptomatic, we recommend availing yourself of one of the numerous COVID-19 testing sites across the state, including the six NJ TRANSIT employee testing sites (see information immediately below).

NJ TRANSIT employees are urged to take advantage of the COVID-19 testing provided by NJ TRANSIT, Agile Urgent Care, and Accurate Laboratories. Testing is available at the following locations:

• Agile Urgent Care Services: 20 Meadowlands Pkwy, Secaucus, NJ 07094
• Accurate Diagnostic Labs: 180 Lincoln Highway, Edison, NJ 08820
• Prompt Medical Care: 636 Easton Ave, Suite 2, BLDG 2, Somerset, New Jersey 08873
• Accurate Diagnostic Labs: 515 South Broad Street, 2nd Floor, Trenton, NJ 08611-1819
• Accurate Diagnostic Labs: 1364 Route 72 West, 1st Floor, Manahawkin, NJ 08050
• Accurate Diagnostic Labs: 9 Hospital Drive, Suite B8, Toms River, NJ 08755-6425

Registration for this service is required. You may register online at njt.agileurgentcare.com.

EMPLOYEE FACE COVERING DIRECTIVES

Consistent with CDC guidance, established best practices, and NJ TRANSIT’s Communicable Disease in the Workplace policy, NJ TRANSIT employees are required to wear face coverings while working at all NJ TRANSIT locations whenever they are likely to encounter others, except where doing so would inhibit that individual’s health. Additionally, it is the responsibility of NJ TRANSIT personnel who bring vendors/contractors on to NJ TRANSIT property to ensure that they are in compliance with this directive. Help to slow the spread of COVID-19 and do your part to protect yourself and your coworkers by wearing your face coverings.

NJ TRANSIT has purchased and secured enough cloth face coverings for all employees. Employees are not permitted to wear masks with logos other than NJ TRANSIT’s, or distracting graphics or messages. The only face coverings permitted for employees are:

• NJ TRANSIT-supplied cloth face coverings;
• Plain, patterned, or similar homemade or store-bought masks

How to get your NJ TRANSIT-supplied face covering

Supervisors throughout the agency have been asked to distribute NJ TRANSIT-supplied face coverings. Before coming into the office or work location, please talk with your supervisor to receive your  NJ TRANSIT-supplied face covering(s) if you have not received yours already.

Face covering care and maintenance

According to the manufacturer, NJ TRANSIT-supplied face coverings, pictured below, can be washed up to 100 times before being discarded. According to the CDC, cloth face coverings should be washed after each use. More information about cloth face coverings can be found via the CDC’s Web page, “Use of Cloth Face Coverings to Help Slow the Spread of COVID-19.”

NJ TRANSIT IS COMMITTED TO WORKPLACE SAFETY

NJ TRANSIT is dedicated to a culture where safety and health are fundamental values, adopted and practiced throughout the agency. All employees have a role to play in using good judgment and adhering to safeguards. This can be done by looking out for each other to avoid injuries, illnesses, and environmental harm. When something goes wrong, almost goes wrong, or even when something just doesn’t seem safe, it is important to report these concerns.   

Individuals with specific safety questions or concerns are encouraged to reach out to their immediate supervisor. Dealing with safety issues through the supervisory chain of command is the preferred method; however, when this approach is unsuccessful in resolving a safety issue, employees can contact the Office of System Safety directly by calling the Safety Hotline at 877-806-8283 or emailing Safetyhotline@njtransit.com.

OSS staff will, on request, keep the name of a complainant confidential; however, in some instances, this constraint may prevent thorough investigation and resolution of a complaint.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON CONTACT TRACING

Contract tracing is an extremely important public health measure used by health departments to prevent the spread of infectious disease, such as COVID-19. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “contact tracing involves identifying people who have an infectious disease (cases) and their contacts (people who may have been exposed) and working with them to interrupt disease transmission. For COVID-19, this includes asking cases to isolate and contacts to quarantine at home voluntarily.”

“Contact tracing for COVID-19 typically involves:

• Interviewing people with COVID-19 to identify everyone with whom they had close contact during the time they may have been infectious,
• Notifying contacts of their potential exposure,
• Referring contacts for testing,
• Monitoring contacts for signs and symptoms of COVID-19, and
• Connecting contacts with services they might need during the self-quarantine period.”

Contact tracing programs in New Jersey are conducted by local health departments with state support provided by the New Jersey Department of Health (NJ DOH). If you feel you may have been exposed to COVID-19, you can find your local health department here or contact them through this Directory of local health departments in New Jersey. NJ TRANSIT fully cooperates and participates with local and state health departments in their contact tracing efforts and we encourage all employees, if contacted, to do the same. More information on contract tracing can be found here.

If you were in close contact with an individual who tested positive for COVID-19, you may receive a call from a local health department, for contact tracing purposes. NJ DOH generally defines “close contact” as being within 6 feet of an individual for at least 10 minutes without the use of PPE, and has released the following document that offers excellent, easy-to-understand guidance on the definitions of “close contact” and “casual contact” as it relates to a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19.

ALL COVID-19-RELATED ABSENCES – INCLUDING SCHOOL CLOSURES AND OTHER CHILDCARE ISSUES RELATED TO COVID-19 – REQUIRE AN MD-40 FORM TO RETURN TO WORK

This is a friendly reminder that all COVID-19-related absences – including school closures and other childcare issues related to COVID-19 – require an MD-40 form, provided by NJ TRANSIT Medical Services, in order to return to the workplace. An MD-40 form is similarly required for ANY absence from the office of 30 days or more.

As a reminder, here’s how to return to work after ANY COVID-19-related absence:

1. Call the NJ TRANSIT COVID-19 toll free hotline number (at 1-888-890-0729) at least three days prior to your anticipated date of return. This will allow adequate time to process your information and have any required documentation reviewed by Medical Services staff.
   
   
2. During your call, the hotline agent will review your case, make any necessary updates, and ask you to submit any additional documentation that may be required. Again, it is very important to contact the hotline BEFORE sending in any documentation. This will ensure that your documentation is attached to your case and expedite processing.
   
   
3. After calling the hotline, please tell your supervisor your anticipated date of return. This will allow time for scheduling assignments.
   
   
4. Once all required information has been received and processed, a member of the Return to Work Task Force will contact you via the phone number or email we have on file. They will notify you that your documentation has been received and reviewed, and complete your MD-40 (Work Status Form). Again: All COVID-19-related absences require an MD-40 in order to return to the workplace.
   
   
5. A copy of your MD-40 will be sent to you via email (or you will be required to pick up a hard copy from Medical Services in Maplewood). A copy will also be sent via email or fax to your supervisor or other appropriate individual, to notify them of your clearance to return to the workplace. 
   
   Please remember: For any and all COVID-19-related questions, call the hotline, staffed 24/7, at 1-888-890-0729. Please do not directly contact the NJ TRANSIT Medical Services Department at the standard office numbers for any COVID-19-related matters. This will cause a delay in your case processing.

COVID-19 ANTIBODY TESTS ARE COVERED UNDER NJ TRANSIT’S HEALTHCARE PLAN

COVID-19 antibody tests are now available throughout New Jersey, and these tests are covered by NJ TRANSIT under our medical plans, administered by Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield NJ. Urgent care and other healthcare facilities across New Jersey are conducting antibody tests, and NJ TRANSIT employees are encouraged to get tested at the earliest opportunity. To find an antibody testing site near you, please visit New Jersey’s COVID-19 Test Site Finder.

COVID-19 testing provided to NJ TRANSIT employees through Agile Urgent Care do not currently include antibody testing – these tests are conducted through a saliva sample and detect whether or not the patient is currently infected with COVID-19. Antibody testing relies on obtaining a blood sample and is often called “serology” or “serologic testing.” To learn more about COVID-19 antibody testing, please visit New Jersey’s COVID-19 information Hub on this subject here.

Please find a comprehensive list of COVID-19 testing sites in New Jersey, as of July 20, 2020. This list includes new COVID-19 testing options for NJ TRANSIT employees in north, south, and central New Jersey, as well as state and county testing sites. Private testing sites can be found via the link on the bottom of the document.

Below, please find COVID-19 statistics. Your attention to following the recommended PPE and social distancing guidelines is working. NJ TRANSIT continues to see a decline in current positive cases and quarantines. We currently have 37 positive cases, down from a high of 299 positive cases on April 27th. 

Total U.S. Positive Cases: 3,952,273

Total New Jersey Positive Cases: 177,887

Total NJ TRANSIT Positive Cases: 564

Current NJ TRANSIT Positive Cases: 37

Current NJ TRANSIT Quarantines: 145

Total NJ TRANSIT Returned to Work: 2658

NJ TRANSIT Curve: 

As Information

• Guidance from the CDC regarding Personal and Social Activities at this time.

Additional Resources

CDC COVID-19 Website

WHO COVID-19 Website

NJ COVID-19 Information Hub 

NJDOH COVID-19 Website / Hotline: 1-800-222-1222

NJ COVID-19 Website