COVID-19 Update #34
10/26/2020
ATTENTION EMPLOYEES: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) does not currently recommend use of face shields as a substitute for face coverings. Therefore, they may not be used to satisfy face covering requirements.
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Please see updated CDC guidance below on the definition of “close contact.” NJDOH indicates it will update its guidance to correspond with updated CDC guidance.
The CDC now defines “close contact” as “someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period* starting from two days before illness onset (or, for asymptomatic patients, two days prior to test specimen collection) until the time the patient is isolated.”
* Individual exposures added together over a 24-hour period (e.g., three 5-minute exposures for a total of 15 minutes). Data are limited, making it difficult to precisely define “close contact;” however, 15 cumulative minutes of exposure at a distance of 6 feet or less can be used as an operational definition for contact investigation. Factors to consider when defining close contact include proximity (closer distance likely increases exposure risk), the duration of exposure (longer exposure time likely increases exposure risk), whether the infected individual has symptoms (the period around onset of symptoms is associated with the highest levels of viral shedding), if the infected person was likely to generate respiratory aerosols (e.g., was coughing, singing, shouting), and other environmental factors (crowding, adequacy of ventilation, whether exposure was indoors or outdoors). Because the general public has not received training on proper selection and use of respiratory PPE, such as an N95, the determination of close contact should generally be made irrespective of whether the contact was wearing respiratory PPE. At this time, differential determination of close contact for those using fabric face coverings is not recommended.
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Governor Phil Murphy Extends NJ Utility Shutoff Moratorium thru March 2021
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COVID-19 Child Care: School-Age Tuition Assistance Program
The New Jersey School-Age Tuition Assistance Program can help you pay for care for your school-age child in need of child care as a result of COVID-19 remote learning schools schedules. To be eligible for this assistance, you must be:
- a NJ resident;
- your child must be attending school remotely, either part-time or full-time; and
- your annual gross household income must be $150,000 or less.
Click here for more details.
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Do You Have Questions About COVID-19 and Celebrating Halloween?
- CDC Guidance on Trick or Treating and Other Halloween Activities
- The New Jersey Department of Health Halloween 2020 Celebration Guidance.
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Don’t Delay, Get Yours Today!
The Medical Services Department is still booking appointments for flu vaccines.
Online registration is required this season. To register and schedule your appointment, click here or scan this QR code:
Not sure how to use a QR code?
For iPhone:
- Open the Camera app on your iPhone.
- Point your iPhone at the QR code to scan it.
- Tap the pop-up notification at the top of your screen.
For Android:
- Press and hold the home button.
- Tap Lens. This is the circle surrounded by lines to the left of the four colored buttons at the bottom of your screen. (You may need to “Allow” if you’ve never used this feature before.)
- Point your camera at the QR code.
- Tap the magnifying glass icon to scan the QR code.
- Tap the pop-up notification
This FREE benefit is available to all active NJ TRANSIT employees. EMPLOYEES MUST SHOW THEIR COMPANY ID TO OBTAIN A FLU VACCINE.
Eligible Employees may register for any location to receive their free vaccine. All employees in a high-risk category of serious illness should get the flu vaccine either from Medical Services or by contacting their personal physician. Please consult your personal doctor BEFORE requesting a flu vaccine if you:
- Have ever had a serious allergic reaction to eggs
- Are currently taking antibiotic medication
Do NOT register for a flu vaccine if you:
- Have a cold, virus, or other illness (get the vaccine when you are better)
- Have been instructed by your personal doctor NOT to get a flu vaccine
Additional dates and locations will be added as they become available. Check back often — through the registration link above — for newly added dates, times, and locations near you.
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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 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 New Jersey and 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, October 20, 39 states and U.S. jurisdictions are on the list of “impacted states”:
- Alabama (added 6/24/20)
- Alaska (re-added 9/1/20)
- Arizona (re-added 10/20/20)
- Arkansas (added 6/24/20)
- Colorado (added 9/29/20)
- Florida (added 6/24/20)
- Georgia (added 6/30/20)
- Guam (added 8/25/20)
- Idaho (added 6/30/20)
- Illinois (added 7/28/20)
- Indiana (added 7/21/20)
- Iowa (added 6/30/20)
- Kansas (added 7/7/20)
- Kentucky (added 7/28/20)
- Louisiana (added 6/30/20)
- Maryland (re-added 10/20/20)
- Michigan (added 10/13/20)
- Minnesota (re-added 9/22/20)
- Mississippi (added 6/30/20)
- Missouri (added 7/21/20)
- Montana (re-added 9/1/20)
- Nebraska (added 7/21/20)
- Nevada (re-added 9/22/20)
- New Mexico (re-added 10/6/20)
- North Carolina (added 6/24/20)
- North Dakota (added 7/21/20)
- Ohio (re-added 10/13/20)
- Oklahoma (added 7/7/20)
- Puerto Rico (re-added 9/15/20)
- Rhode Island (re-added 9/22/20)
- South Carolina (added 6/24/20)
- South Dakota (added 8/11/20)
- Tennessee (added 6/30/20)
- Texas (added 6/24/20)
- Utah (added 6/24/20)
- Virginia (re-added 10/13/20)
- West Virginia (added 9/8/20)
- Wisconsin (added 7/14/20)
- Wyoming (added 9/22/20)
Note: California and Hawaii were removed 9/15/20. The Virgin Islands were removed 9/8/20. Washington was removed 8/11/20. The District of Columbia was removed on 8/4/20.
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).
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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.
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Please find a comprehensive list of COVID-19 testing sites in New Jersey, as of October 23. 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.
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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.”
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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 COVID-19 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 COVID-19-related safety issue, employees can contact the Office of System Safety with COVID-19-related concerns directly by emailing COVIDSAFETY@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.
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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:
- 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.
- 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.
- After calling the hotline, please tell your supervisor your anticipated date of return. This will allow time for scheduling assignments.
- 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.
- 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.
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Flexible Work Arrangements for Non-Agreement Employees Due to COVID-19-Related School Closures
Policy 3.36B became effective as of 9/22/2020, for Non-Agreement Employees. The policy outlines the guidelines for requesting flexible work arrangements in order to care for minor and dependent children (age 18 and younger) during the school year due to COVID-19 related closures and/or remote learning requirements. The policy can be found on @Transit or this link.
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Below, please find COVID-19 statistics. As with the rest of the country, NJ TRANSIT has unfortunately seen an slight uptick in positive COVID-19 cases among our employees. 32 NJ TRANSIT employees are currently positive, although we are still down significantly from a current high of 299 positive cases on April 27th. Now more than ever, we must remain vigilant – maintaining our aggressive approach to cleaning and disinfection, and, as a reminder: Face coverings remain a critical safety requirement for all employees in every
NJ TRANSIT work location.
Total U.S. Positive Cases: 8,553,827
Total New Jersey Positive Cases: 228,468
Total NJ TRANSIT Positive Cases: 612
Current NJ TRANSIT Positive Cases: 32
Current NJ TRANSIT Quarantines: 89
Total NJ TRANSIT Returned to Work: 3,139
NJ TRANSIT Curve:
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