OCEAN COUNTY SCHOOLS LEARNING HOW TO DEAL WITH COVID-19
CHALLENGES WITH HELP FROM OCHD TASK FORCE

Task force brings health officials, administrators, teachers & nurses together to plan safety strategies

(Toms River) – With the start of the new school season just around the corner there are still
many unanswered questions on how the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic will impact the 2020-
2021 school calendar. In the meantime, the Ocean County Health Department (OCHD) is leading
a school task force called, the Ocean County Public Health/Education COVID-19 Summer
Advisory Committee. The task force brings public health and school officials together to plan
and prepare the best practices and guidance aimed to protect students, teachers and staff while
still offering the best healthy educational scenarios.

“The main purpose of the group is to keep the lines of communication open between Public
Health and Education institutions in Ocean County,” explained Daniel Regenye, OCHD Public
Health Coordinator/Health Officer. “It’s an important opportunity to collaborate, share
information and guidance recommendations as they become available from the New Jersey
Department of Health (NJDOH), New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) and Centers for
Disease Control and Protection (CDC) as we approach the start of the new school year.”

“The school task force is examining all the unique scenarios that the pandemic has presented and
is working to provide the best case scenarios to educate while keeping the students, teachers,
administrators and all school employees safe while also protecting the community,” said Ocean
County Freeholder Gerry P. Little, liaison to the Ocean County Board of Health.

The task force has already met several times this summer and includes a COVID-19 School
Nurse Sub-Committee. School nurses will be at the front lines with a variety of responsibilities
and Regenye explained that it was crucial they have a seat at the table and their voice be heard.

“The school nurses will have a very important job so we take their concerns very seriously,” said
Regenye. “They will be called upon to make decisions regarding identification of symptoms,
isolation protocols, contacts and quarantine and potentially recommend school closings.”

Other crucial topics at the forefront of discussion by the Public Health/Education task force
include proper cleaning and disinfection protocols for classrooms, bathrooms, common areas and
school buses. Others include emergency operation plans (EOPs), lunch room guidelines and after
school activities and athletic programs procedures. Social distancing, face coverings and
maintaining hand and respiratory hygiene measures are just some of the long list of challenges
school officials will face.

“Schools, working in concert with the OCHD, have a key role in mitigating the spread of
COVID-19 to ensure students have a safe and healthy learning environment,” explained Patty
High, OCHD Assistant Public Health Coordinator. “Schools must be prepared for any COVID-
19 outbreaks in their communities and for individual exposures to occur in their facilities while
ensuring continuity of education.”

Based on early studies and data, children of all ages are at risk for COVID-19. However,
complications of COVID-19 appear to be less common compared with adults. The OCHD
reports that 3.54% of young people 18 years of age and under have been infected with the
COVID-19 virus in Ocean County as of July 17, 2020 with no deaths.
The next meetings of the Public Health/Education COVID-19 Summer Advisory Committee and
the School Nurse Sub-Committee are scheduled for the last week of July. The OCHD has been
providing up-to-date guidelines and information for K-12 schools on its website at
www.ochd.org .
“These meetings, discussions and lines of communication will continue throughout the summer
and school year and the OCHD and education officials will ultimately determine the best
guidance that is feasible, practical, acceptable and tailored to the needs of each community,”
Regenye concluded.
For more information on COVID-19 K-12 school guidelines can be found by visiting the CDC
website at www.cdc.gov or at www.nj.gov.
The OCHD is also providing a general COVID-19 Information Call Hot Line for residents and
clinicians to answer questions regarding the coronavirus. The number is 732-341-9700 ext.
7411. The NJDOH (NJPIES) hotline is available for questions around the clock at 1-800-222-
1222 or by dialing 2-1-1. Other related sources; for medical COVID-19 questions call 1-800-
962-1253  (24/7) or Text NJCOVID to  898-211  to receive alerts.