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Join your union sisters and brothers along with special guests for our Labor (UNION STRONG) Pre-Program Watch Party!
Show that the Biden/Harris campaign is UNION STRONG and wear your union t-shirt on Thursday, Aug. 20 at 8:00 PM EST.
In this nationally televised video, retired SMART conductor Greg Weaver talks about what he learned about former VP Biden from their 30 years traveling together from Wilmington, Delaware to DC.
Accorded to Weaver, “he’s most comfortable around everyday working-class people. When he got on that train, everyone was equal to him.”
Weaver adds in the video, “the essential workers working behind the scenes to keep this country going, he understands that. The average guy is important to him.”
The Egg Harbor Medical Facility has been temporarily shut down for extreme water damage. The facility will reopen once remediation is completed. The nearest facility is Newton Avenue, Camden, phone 856-968-3981….they will be open M-F, 8am to 4pm.
We wanted to share some upcoming free and easy Covid-19 testing opportunities in South Jersey. There will be two testing locations next week, Vineland and Pleasantville, additional details can be found below. No state ID or insurance required. The testing does both COVID diagnostic and antibody testing – at the same time.
We would appreciate if you could share with your networks as well.
There is a simple on line sign up form to register so that wait time is minimized, but if people show up that day they will not be turned away. The below links can be used.
Vineland (Click here to register)
Wednesday, August 5th 12pm-7pm
Rock of Salvation
513 Grape Street
Vineland, NJ 08360
Pleasantville (Click here to register)
Thursday August 6th 12pm-7pm
Friday, August 7th 12pm-7pm
Oasis UMC
316 Martin Luther King Avenue
Pleasantville, NJ 08282
Kiah Lattimer
Aide to the Governor, Outreach
Office of the Governor
225 West State Street, Trenton, New Jersey 08608
609-777-3868
Effective August 16, 2020, Sam’s Club Pharmacies will no longer be part of the standard networks of pharmacies we offer to you. We will make sure that any member who uses Sam’s Club today has a convenient cost-effective option available.
Sam’s Club has been unwilling to agree to Express Scripts’ standard terms and conditions, including market-competitive rates, for Express Scripts’ standard networks. By allowing Sam’s Club in our standard networks with their current terms and rate offer, Express Scripts clients will pay more for pharmacy services than other comparable pharmacies in their networks.
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:
NJ TRANSIT employees should familiarize themselves with EO-165, which can be found in its entirety here.
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As a reminder, all PPE and cleaning supply purchases on P-Cards are prohibited by all business lines except the Procurement unit. Please note:
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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.
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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 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:
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).
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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:
Registration for this service is required. You may register online at njt.agileurgentcare.com.
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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:
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 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.
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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:
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.
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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:
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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.
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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.
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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:
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As Information
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