****Updated Information – Please Read****
COVID-19 Update
12/2/2020
Dear Colleague,
We were alerted to a NJ TRANSIT employee, working out of our Ironbound Garage, who has tested positive for COVID-19. This employee’s last date worked was November 23, 2020. Medical Services has been alerted. All potentially affected work areas the employee may have had contact with will undergo, or have undergone, enhanced cleaning. As outlined in our policy, the employee will not be allowed to return to work until the appropriate documentation is submitted by their primary care physician. In addition, all COVID-19-related absences require an MD-40 form, provided by NJ TRANSIT Medical Services, in order to return to the workplace. For HIPAA purposes, the employee’s identification must remain confidential.
If you were in contact with the individual who tested positive, you may receive a call from a local health department, for “contact tracing” purposes. Contact tracing programs are conducted by local health departments with state support provided by the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH). 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 at https://covid19.nj.gov/faqs/nj-information/symptoms-tests-and-treatment/what-is-contact-tracing-how-does-it-stop-the-spread-of-covid-19. Please be vigilant in monitoring your health for any symptoms consistent with COVID-19, and immediately contact your healthcare provider should you experience any symptoms.
Notifications of COVID-19 positive cases are issued from NJ TRANSIT’s Incident Command by disseminating notice to geographic locations where an employee has received a confirmed positive diagnosis of COVID-19 that has been officially reported to NJ TRANSIT through the toll-free, 24/7 COVID-19 Employee Hotline. The notification is then sent via e-mail to the employee's management chain from immediate supervisor through the DGM-level. The employee's immediate supervisor is responsible for timely posting of the notification in the affected work location. For agreement employees testing positive, the notification is sent to the DGM of Labor Relations for immediate distribution to union leadership – up to and including the General Chairman or State Council President.
The New Jersey Department of Health released a document (attached) 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. Please take some time at your earliest convenience to review the attached, two-page document that should help guide your response and allay some of your concerns.
We will continue to keep you informed whenever new information is available. In the meantime, please continue to be guided by your COVID-19 FAQ and the Human Resources “Communicable Diseases in the Workplace” policy, which have been distributed frequently.
It is important to contact Medical Services as soon as possible, at the NJ TRANSIT employee COVID-19 hotline, at (888) 890-0729, or via e-mail at Medical@njtransit.com, to report positive test results, possible exposure, or any recommendations you’ve received from your healthcare provider related to COVID-19.
Remember to take the following personal precautions to avoid spreading or contracting this, or any other, virus:
· Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
· Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
· Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then immediately throw it in the trash. If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your elbow to avoid contaminating your hands.
Additional Resources
· NJ TRANSIT Medical Services: Medical@njtransit.com
· NJ TRANSIT Coronavirus Hotline: (888) 890-0729 or (973) 378-6200
· Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 Web Page: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
· World Health Organization COVID-19 Web Page: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
· NJ Department of Health Communicable Disease Service COVID-19 Web Page: https://nj.gov/health/cd/topics/ncov.shtml / Hotline (1-800-222-1222)
· NJ COVID-19 Website: https://covid19.nj.gov
Sincerely,
Brian Lapp
SVP & Chief Safety Officer
Incident Commander – NJ TRANSIT Coronavirus Task Force
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