A task force was formed in Burlington County in March to confront the recent outbreak and concerns surrounding the novel coronavirus.
The Burlington County Coronavirus Task Force initiated by the county Freeholders was announced at a March 4 public meeting by freeholder director Felicia Hopson. With COVID-19 spreading throughout the county and world the need for an official body to lead the county’s efforts was apparent. The task force’s priority is keeping Burlington County residents safe and informed.
In charge of managing the county’s response to COVID-19, Health Department director Dr. Herb Conaway has since been named head of the task force. As an over 20-year practicing physician, director of the county Health Department and a member of the New Jersey General Assembly, serving as chairman of the Health Committee, Conaway was a natural choice for the position, Hopson said.
“My reaction was that this was a weighed responsibility, but I knew I was up for the challenge given my experience,” Conaway said. “I praise Freeholder Director Felicia Hopson for taking aggressive action to put together this Task Force early on so we could get to work quickly.”
The Burlington Health Department continues to collaborate with its local partners to maintain plans that are in place to control the spread of the illness. These local partners include police, fire, EMS and emergency management coordinators, mayors, township administrators and members of the public.
Along with CDC issued guidelines, the task force recommended on March 12 the cancellation or postponement of mass gatherings and for organizations with high risk populations, being older adults and people with chronic medical conditions, to cancel gatherings of more than 10 people.
Measures such as Conaway’s March 13 decision to close all public county schools from March 16 through April 17 is one of the proactive ways the task force has sought to ensure the safety of students and their families.
As of March 24, the county disclosed a total of 49 positive COVID-19 cases. Burlington announces the age, town and number of new cases every day at 4 p.m. on its county website. As of the March 24 information, there are four positive Bordentown cases including a 63-year-old female, a 68-year-old female, a 46-year-old female and a 19-year-old female.
The task force is made up of over 30 members from local entities including, the health department, public safety, Office of Emergency Management, freeholders and Virtua Health. It is in constant communication with local and state officials, first responders, hospitals, and schools in order to manage the spread of COVID-19.
Public safety has helped the task force establish a protocol, adhering to attorney general guidelines, to help protect first responders. Early warning systems have been put in place to alert responders before arriving on scene of any positive COVID-19 cases so they may properly protect themselves.
The local Office of Emergency Management, which is activated anytime there is a natural or public health disaster, is coordinating with the federal government and state Office of Emergency Management throughout this crisis.
Helping with communications, providing guidance on connecting state and federal resources, approving emergency spending when necessary, and managing public meetings and the press is the Freeholders of Burlington County. South Jersey’s, Virtua Health has been another critical partner, supplying resources and expertise both in emergency management and healthcare. They help in keeping the county up to date on COVID-19 information for its first responders and municipalities.
Also involved is the Burlington County Division of Communicable Disease, which has been working on contact tracing for the county since the first positive case on March 10, according to task force updates.
“We have made great strides keeping all municipalities, first responders, law enforcement, school officials and hospitals updated as often as possible,” Conaway said. “Our staff is working around the clock to engage positive cases. We are also interpreting and enforcing the Governor’s Executive Orders and we are sending a consistent message to our residents to comply with social distancing. Social distancing will be the biggest component for fighting the spread of coronavirus.”
Moving forward the task force will be working to set up county testing sites and a hotline for information. The Burlington County Medical Reserve Corps, which trains along with the county’s Health Department and Office of Emergency Management, has been activated by the task force. The BCMRC consists of more than 600 volunteers and healthcare professionals from the county.
Additionally, trained nursing students from Rowan College at Burlington County and The College of New Jersey will be brought in as needed to help, according to task force updates.
“We will continue to work hard to mitigate the spread of COVID-19,” Conaway said. “It is expected that as more testing becomes available, the cases in Burlington County and nationwide will continue to rise due to testing capabilities. Additionally, we have purchased testing kits and will be announcing testing sites information in the days to come.”
While Congress works on a spending package that will reimburse municipalities to a certain percent of emergency expenses, the county taxpayers are supporting all task force functions at this time. Instructions have been dictated by the county for municipalities to track coronavirus- fighting expenses so they may submit for reimbursement at the end of the public health crisis, Hopson said.
“Our priority has been the safety and well-being of Burlington County residents, as well as keeping everyone informed, and mitigating the spread of the virus,” Conaway said.
As a reminder, there are simple habits that residents can practice to help prevent illness at this time. These include, washing hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, avoiding touching the face area, if sick stay home, practice social distancing and be sure to disinfect all commonly touched surfaces and objects.
For updates on COVID-19 and the Burlington County Coronavirus Task Force visit co.burlington.nj.us.
Assemblyman Dr. Herb Conaway, a Bordentown native, has been named head of the Burlington County Coronavirus Task Force.,
