Recreation Program Updates August 2021

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New School Year & Update on COVID-19 Vaccines

by mendhamtwprecreation＠lists.cit-e.net

This past Wednesday, Mendham Township Elementary School and Middle School and the West Morris Regional High Schools were the first schools in New Jersey to welcome students back for the new school year. I am so grateful to our school Superintendents, Principals, Board of Educations, educators, parents, and stakeholders who worked together to ensure that our students were able to be back full-time and in-person this school year. In addition to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) back to school health tips<https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2021/p0823-back-to-school-covid-19.html>, the NJ Department of Health and NJ Department of Education have issued updated health and safety guidance<https://www.nj.gov/education/roadforward/docs/HealthAndSafetyGuidanceSY2122…> for the 2021/2022 school year. Also, this past week, Governor Murphy signed an executive order requiring all preschool through grade 12 full-time and part-time workers to be fully vaccinated by October 18th or be subject to weekly COVID-19 testing, at a minimum. This order applies to all public, private, charter, and renaissance schools throughout the state. This past Monday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Pfizer’s COVID-19 Vaccine<https://www.fda.gov/emergency-preparedness-and-response/coronavirus-disease…> for individuals 16 years of age and older. The fully licensed vaccine will now be marketed as Comirnaty. Pfizer’s vaccine will continue to be available under emergency use authorization (EUA) for individuals 12 through 15 years of age and for a third booster dose in certain immunocompromised individuals. EUA status continues to be extended for Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 Vaccine and Moderna’s COVID-19 Vaccine including a third dose for immunocompromised individuals. A full list of conditions can be found on the CDC’s website<https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-wit…>. In NJ, vaccination sites have been instructed to offer third doses to the immunocompromised population. Proof of condition or a doctor’s note is not required. On Monday, the NJDOH Commissioner announced that since the 3rd shot was authorized, 19,111 individuals have received a 3rd dose. Due to recent studies<https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/pdfs/mm7034e1-H.pdf> that show the decline of COVID-19 vaccine efficacy over time, the FDA and CDC are in the process of evaluating the efficacy of a third booster shot for the general population.<https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2021/s0818-covid-19-booster-shots.html> If approved, the goal would be for individuals to start receiving a COVID-19 booster shot beginning the week of September 20th, with individuals being eligible starting 8 months after they received their second dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 Vaccines. More information and data is expected from the CDC in regards to the administration of another dose of the J&J COVID-19 Vaccine. To find a vaccination location nearest you, click here: https://covid19.nj.gov/pages/finder. Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and take care. Sarah Neibart Mayor, Mendham Township

3 years

Hurricane Henri

by mendhamtwprecreation＠lists.cit-e.net

Hurricane Henri, which is pronounced "ahn-ree", is expected to begin impacting our area tonight. The National Weather Service has issued a Flood Watch which is in effect from today until Monday, August 23rd. The primary hazard for our area is expected to be heavy rain, which could lead to flooding. Strong winds may also cause scattered tree and power line damage. If you lose power, please report your outage to JCP&L directly by calling 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877), or by visiting www.firstenergycorp.com and clicking the “Report Outage” link on firstenergycorp.com<https://firstenergycorp.com/outages_help/Report_Power_Outages.html>, or by texting 544487. If you notice a downed power line or a tree blocking the road, do not go near it, and report it immediately by calling the non-emergency police number at: (973) 543-2581 and pressing 0 to speak to an operator or email: mendhamtwpoem(a)gmail.com. Please reserve calling 911 for emergency situations. Generators can be a lifesaver during power outages, but such devices can also be dangerous if used or installed improperly. Never use a portable generator inside the house or a closed garage. For information to prepare your family for all hazards and emergencies, attached is a Storm Preparation Checklist prepared by JCP&L. Additional resources are also available on ready.nj.gov<http://www.ready.nj.gov/>. Stay safe and take care, Sarah Neibart Mayor, Mendham Township

3 years, 1 month

Updated Protocols in Mendham Township - August 2021

by mendhamtwprecreation＠lists.cit-e.net

Since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced its updated guidance for fully vaccinated people<https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated.html> last week, Morris County has evolved from a county experiencing “moderate” COVID-19 transmission to that of “substantial” COVID-19 transmission. In an effort to keep residents, township employees, and volunteers safe, in Mendham Township, we have updated our operating protocols. As long as Morris County is within the “substantial or high transmission zones” (per the CDC’s data tracker<https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#county-view>), the Township will be asking members of the public who enter municipal buildings to wear a mask. As the Delta Variant continues to work its way across our state, on Monday the NJ Department of Health Commissioner announced that there has been a rise in active outbreaks in long-term care facilities. Two weeks ago, there were 18 reported outbreaks but as of Monday, August 2nd the Commissioner reported that there were 38 active outbreaks in long-term care facilities in NJ. While the percentage of vaccinated staff in NJ’s long-term care facilities has increased, in some facilities the percentage is as low as 33%. On Friday, the Governor signed Executive Order 252<https://nj.gov/infobank/eo/056murphy/pdf/EO-252.pdf>, which requires workers in certain healthcare and “high-risk” facilities to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by September 7, 2021 or be subject to weekly COVID-19 testing at a minimum. The state believes that this order will strengthen the protection against the spread of COVID-19 in some of NJ’s most vulnerable populations. Governor Murphy also held a press conference yesterday where he announced that all students, educators, staff, and visitors will be required to wear masks inside all Kindergarten - 12th Grade school buildings, regardless of vaccination status, for the start of the 2021 - 2022 academic year. As of today, there are 5,349,147 individuals who live, work, or study in NJ fully vaccinated, but about 42% of NJ’s population remains unvaccinated including children under the age of 12, who are not yet eligible. Based on state data covering July 12th - July 19th, roughly 80% of all positive tests were from people not vaccinated or not fully vaccinated. Governor Murphy stressed on Monday that 95% of all new COVID-19 hospitalizations and 100% of COVID-19 related deaths during that same period were of individuals who were not fully vaccinated. To find a vaccination location nearest you, click here: https://covid19.nj.gov/pages/finder. Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and take care. Sarah Neibart Mayor, Mendham Township

3 years, 1 month

New CDC Guidance for Areas of High & Substantial Transmission

by mendhamtwprecreation＠lists.cit-e.net

On Thursday, July 27th, the state reported over 1,000 new COVID-19 positive cases, which was the first time that New Jersey has exceeded a count of 1,000 new positive cases in a single day in more than two and a half months. This past Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also updated its guidance for fully vaccinated people<https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated.html>. This guidance recommends that masks be worn in indoor public settings in areas of high and substantial transmission, regardless of vaccination status. Based on the CDC’s data tracker<https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#county-view>, this guidance refers to nearly two-thirds of all counties in the United States and 10 NJ counties. Currently, Monmouth County is the only county in NJ which has a high transmission rate, while Bergen, Essex, Union, Middlesex, Ocean, Burlington, Atlantic, Gloucester, and Passaic counties have substantial transmission rates. The CDC announced this recommendation based on new cases per 100,000 people, test positivity rates over the previous seven days, and new data that was published in the in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report<https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7031e2.htm?s_cid=mm7031e2_w>. This report found that the Delta variant resulted in similarly high SARS-CoV-2 viral loads in vaccinated and unvaccinated people, which raises a concern that, unlike with other variants, vaccinated people infected with the Delta variant can transmit the virus. In the state’s most recent COVID-19 Variant Surveillance Report<https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/documents/topics/NCOV/COVID_19_Variant_Report_…>, the Delta Variant accounts for approximately 75% of NJ’s new COVID-19 positive cases. Although NJ has among the highest vaccination rates in the nation - about 70% of the vaccine-eligible population in NJ is vaccinated, there are still 4 million people in NJ who remain unvaccinated. The CDC has highlighted that Americans between 12 and 29 are contracting COVID-19 at the highest rates while being the least protected. In NJ, only 42% of those 12 - 17 have received at least one dose of the vaccine. The NJ Department of Health Commissioner continues to stress the importance of increasing the vaccination rate among 12 - 17 year olds due to the potential of this group coming into contact with the population of children under 12 who are not yet eligible to get vaccinated. To find a vaccination location nearest you, click here: https://covid19.nj.gov/pages/finder. Enjoy the rest of your weekend and take care. Sarah Neibart Mayor, Mendham Township

3 years, 1 month

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Recreation Program Updates August 2021