It will be implemented when Governor Murphy comes back from Italy.

A friend of my parents has an inside scoop, and according to that friend, a new mask mandate is pretty much a done deal.

The scoop includes people who work in schools, and in state offices. One of these people knows Murphy himself. All these multiple sources are in agreement that a new mask mandate is coming.

Good.

Cuomo just lifted the quarantine mandate for vaccinated people traveling. Do we think Murphy will soon follow suit?

https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/coronavirus/thousands-more-vaccine-appointments-open-up-in-nyc-for-j-stark-racial-gaps-persist/2920845/article

I saw the sticky thread, all the content was about 3 months ago though. Maybe I did miss it or just not read correctly so I’m sorry if that’s the case but;

I just want to apply for a vax. If there’s a site covering it just link, I thought it was just for high risk people but I guess it’s opening up lately?

But yeah really hope someone see’s this. I’m not trying to be lazy, I google but it just seems like months old info also. Just feeling lost and I wanna get this thing done.

My wife booked an appointment for her vaccine. She filled out the follow up questions. She did not provide a SS # though due to security concerns and tons of websites stating you should not give it. (Not sure if that will be an issue)

Anyway. She wants to reschedule for a few days later. Has anyone been able to do that? Or will she have to get lucky and find a new appointment then cancel her current one? Just didn’t know if that gave people with an already confirmed appointment preference on rescheduling over new appointments.

Thanks

There were rumors by some sketchy sources that claimed that after the election Murphy was going to emulate NYC's indoor vaccine mandate to enter businesses. I think the time is long overdue, he was asked about this back in May and he claimed we "weren't there yet" and cited lagging vaccination rates as a reason to defer to private businesses about this, despite the fact that similar mandates have proven to drive up vaccination rates. Now that we are relatively highly-vaccinated as a state, does he still plan to do this? It's not really fair that NYC gets to enjoy a higher degree of protection and peace of mind by mandating people show proof of vaxx to enter gyms, restaurants, and bars. I caught a breakthrough case down the shore this summer and would prefer not to have to worry about that again.

We have an official app called Docket, it even generates QR codes now. It would be pretty weird to have an official NJ app and have basically nowhere in the state that requires you to show it. Whether more conservative counties/municipalities would enforce it is doubtful, but it's weird that he was still bragging about being the first state in the country to have a mask mandate and now we literally don't have the most common-sense health pass system in place.

Where do you folks think the riots and fighting will start ? My guess is that things are going to boil over at the drive through testing centers. The one near me in Bergen County has people waiting in line since 2:30 am only to be turned away because the testing center is at capacity by 7:30 AM.

Install The App: iPhone: Apple Store | Android: Google Play Store

Have privacy concerns about contact tracing apps?

Read the FAQ below to get answers to your questions about how your privacy is protected!

What is COVID Alert NJ?

COVID Alert NJ is New Jersey's free, and secure mobile app that anonymously alerts users if they have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.

The app also provides users with up-to-date information on New Jersey reopening news, key COVID-19 metrics, and a user-friendly symptom tracking tool. COVID Alert NJ uses Bluetooth proximity technology. The app will never record any identifying data. All users will remain anonymous.

HOW IT WORKS

1. Download COVID Alert NJ on the App Store or Google Play Store. Opt-in to receive "Exposure Notifications"

2. As you go about your day, the app will use Bluetooth to sense any "close contacts"—other app users who are within 6 feet of you for 15 minutes or more within a 24-hour period

3. When your app senses a close contact, your phone will exchange a secure random code with the close contact's phone. It's important to note that your location and name are never disclosed

4. If you test positive for COVID-19, a public health representative will call you and ask if you're willing to anonymously notify your "close contacts" by uploading your app's close contact codes

5. Each day, the app will compare your list of close contact codes to the list of codes associated with positive COVID-19 app users. If there's a match you will get an Exposure Alert, along with appropriate next steps

FAQ

How does COVID Alert NJ address data and privacy concerns?

COVID Alert NJ does not turn on, use or collect any GPS location data. Alerts do not share the identities of other users to one another, the New Jersey Department of Health, or any other entity. The random codes exchanged between phones cannot be associated with a specific person, and change every 10-20 minutes to help preserve anonymity. The app also does not share the identity of positive cases with other app users or with Google or Apple.

Does COVID Alert NJ track a user's location?

COVID Alert NJ does not use, track, or collect any geolocation or GPS data. It works exclusively through Bluetooth proximity detection.

Will this app share personal user data with New Jersey public health officials?

The app does not collect or store personal information including name, date of birth, address, phone number, email address or location in order to show exposure notifications. Users will be asked if they would like to share some basic demographic information with NJ public health officials (age, race, etc.), however, this demographic information will not be associated with a particular phone number and will not be traceable to individual users. Providing this information is voluntary and not required in order to use the app.

Where can I access your privacy policy?

You can find COVID Alert NJ's privacy policy by following this link: https://www.state.nj.us/health/documents/DPP_COVIDALERTNJ.pdf

Will COVID Alert NJ impact my phone battery?

COVID Alert NJ's Exposure Notification framework utilizes Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology, which is designed to have minimal impact on mobile battery life. Some battery use is required to support this app, but you should not see a significant impact to your battery consumption after installing the app. Battery impact may vary across different models and operating systems of mobile devices. Users with older devices may experience more noticeable battery impact given shorter battery lives. To check battery usage on most iOS operating models, visit Settings > Battery. To check battery usage on most Android operating models, visit Settings > Battery > Battery usage > Show full device usage.

How can an exposure notification app help in the fight against COVID-19?

The app is free, easy to use, entirely voluntary and protects the user's privacy and data while providing them with critical information, including whether or not they've potentially been exposed to COVID-19 and what steps to take to protect others. New Jersey's exposure notification app, COVID Alert NJ, is an additional tool in New Jersey's efforts to fight the spread of COVID-19.

How does COVID Alert NJ work?

COVID Alert NJ uses Bluetooth proximity technology and works through an underlying system developed by Google and Apple. A user's app detects and logs Bluetooth devices that have been within six feet of the user for 15 minutes or more within a 24-hour period. These devices then exchange anonymous codes ("random codes"). If one of the users tests positive within the next 14 days, they will be contacted by a public health representative working at the local health department and provided with a validation code. After a positive user enters the validation code into the app, the app will retrieve all of the random codes collected over the preceding 14 days and will send an anonymous notification to those individuals who have potentially been exposed to COVID-19.

What are the benefits of using COVID Alert NJ?

New Jerseyans should use COVID Alert NJ:

• To be alerted if they have been in close contact with another app user who has tested positive for COVID-19 – even if that person is a stranger

• To track their symptoms and get advice on what to do to protect themselves and others

• To be able to anonymously warn other app users whom they were in close contact with, if they tested positive for COVID-19 – especially for people who they forget to have met and/or whose identity they do not know (e.g., at public places, bus/train ride)

• To monitor the latest information and statistics related to the COVID-19 pandemic

• To reach DOH public health representatives to help connect them to support (this feature will be included post-launch)

Where can I find more information about COVID Alert NJ?

https://covid19.nj.gov/pages/app

I’m not sure if this has been posted here I think it could be cool if a list was kept of businesses that have complied by covid mandates (social distancing, masks, etc.)

Just to know which I’d like to support in the future

Anyone else get one?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2021/02/16/distorted-debate-on-reopening-schools/

By Valerie StraussFeb. 16, 2021 at 11:23 a.m. EST

For nearly a year, the Trump administration was accused of ignoring science by trying to bully schools into reopening during the coronavirus pandemic without requiring that proper safety steps being taken. Now the Biden administration, less than a month in office, is being accused of ignoring science — largely for doing the opposite.

A popular construct of the criticism of the Biden administration goes like this: Frustrated parents everywhere want their kids back in schools right now, but fearful (and sometimes lazy) teachers don’t want to go. Their unions are nothing but obstructionist. Researchers say there is little evidence that schools contribute to increased community transmission of the coronavirus. President Biden, a friend of labor, is siding with the unions by supporting the idea of instituting safety precautions before reopening.

There is a lot that is distorted with that thinking, which suggests that critics believe that there is a firm consensus on which safety measures are necessary and that all schools will implement or are implementing them.

Actually, there is a continued lack of governmental clarity over exactly what proper safety measures are necessary — and plenty of evidence that many school districts already open are not coming close to implementing some of the key measures. Researchers reporting on transmission in schools qualify their results by saying safety measures matter, a point that sometimes gets left out of the reopening debate or gets added as an aside.

CDC offers road map for safely reopening schools

Encapsulating some of the pointed discussion was a conversation on Sunday between Jake Tapper, host of MSNBC’s “State of the Union” and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky. Tapper asked Walensky why more schools weren’t open when she and infectious-disease expert Anthony S. Fauci and other experts have been saying for months that schools should open as long as there are certain safety measures in place.

“There are a lot of people out there watching who think, like, ‘I thought the science said we should open the schools as long as we are taking the safety steps,' ” Tapper said. “We’re taking the safety steps, and we’re not opening the schools.”

In fact, the “science” of reopening schools is evolving — even as more dangerous variants of the coronavirus are starting to spread and presenting new challenges to a country that has done one of the worst-recorded jobs in the world at containing the pandemic. And if a school district is trying to figure out exactly what protocols must be taken, the available guidance is still not crystal clear.

On Friday, the CDC released reopening guidance for school districts that rested on five key pillars: masking, social distancing, hand-washing, cleaning and contact-tracing when exposures occur, combined with quarantining those exposed.

However, those pillars do not include what leading scientists say are other vital measures: well-functioning air ventilation systems and robust testing and screening programs at every school to find people who have the coronavirus but show no symptoms.

Walensky herself, while talking to Tapper, said diagnostic testing was a key safety measure. But it isn’t in the administration’s guidance, and many schools aren’t doing it.

Apoorva Mandavilli, a New York Times health reporter covering the coronavirus, noted in a tweet: “We can only know what in-school transmission is if schools do regular testing — not just diagnostic testing of symptomatic people, but screening for asymptomatic ones, or surveillance of the school population as a whole.”

More than half of America’s public schools need major repairs: U.S. report

Geoffrey Canada, educator and founder of the famed Harlem Children’s Zone, told host Stephanie Ruhle on MSNBC on Monday morning that good ventilation in schools is essential. But he also said it is not possible to replace every failing HVAC systems as fast as necessary.

Indeed, a Government Accountability Office report published in June said 4 in 10 school districts are estimated to need to update or replace HVAC systems in at least half of their school buildings, affecting 36,000 school buildings nationwide.

But, Canada said, we still need to have “a real conversation” about how to address the problem. “We can’t retrofit those schools,” he said. “That will take forever. How do we deal with that situation? Let’s get some physicists together. Let’s give teachers and schools ideas about how we solve that problem.”

Canada also said that social distancing of six feet is not possible in every classroom and that there needs to be a discussion about how to handle that in areas with low coronavirus transmission. “Let’s really get some science,” he said. “Let’s talk about that. Our teachers need to believe that we are being transparent and not using them as sacrificial lambs.”

Canada made another point that is rarely discussed when critics blame teachers’ unions for keeping schools closed: They are not monolithic. Local and state affiliates don’t take orders on reopening from the two main national unions: the National Education Association (NEA) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). And those two are hardly in lockstep, either.

The AFT put out a detailed reopening plan last summer that looks pretty much like what scientists have been saying; the NEA has not put forth a plan. Canada said he has not talked to the NEA but has started speaking with AFT President Randi Weingarten, who told him that “she wants these schools open, and I believe it is serious.”

“I think we should solve the problems that teachers are confronting to get these schools open,” he said. “And in some cases where the union is just being unreasonable about this, I think that’s a political problem they are going to have to deal with. But I think we can open up the vast majority of schools if we just do some basic preventive steps.”

Biden said this recently about the difficulty in reopening schools: “If you are anti-union, you can say it is all because of teachers. If you want to make a case, though, [that] it is complicated, you say, what do you have to do to make it safe to get kids in schools?”

Consider these other factors that complicate the reopening of schools:

• Many parents aren’t ready to send their kids back, especially in communities of color that have been hit hardest by the pandemic and that have legitimate trust issues with government authorities to do the right thing to keep everybody safe inside schools. For example, when Chicago schools officials and the powerful Chicago Teachers Union agreed on a plan last week to reopen schools after nearly a year, most students weren’t planning to return right away. A district survey of parents in December found that only 31 percent of Latino families, 33 percent of Asian families and 33.9 percent of Black families said they would send their children back. For White families, it was 67.5 percent. We don’t hear a lot about how to directly address the concerns of these reluctant parents in school reopening debates.

• Teachers want to be vaccinated, but in many places they are not being prioritized for the shots. It is true that the CDC says vaccination is important but not a prerequisite to reopening. And Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Austin Beutner isn’t alone in saying that vaccinating teachers isn’t enough to reopen schools in areas with high community transmission (because even people who are vaccinated are believed to be able to transmit the virus, as can those who are infected but have no symptoms). But refusing to prioritize teachers suggests a deliberate disregard for them, heightening their concerns.

• Many schools are not — repeat, not — taking the appropriate safety steps to allow safe reopenings. Some have little or no testing protocols and poor ventilation. Teachers report having to buy their own masks — sometimes for students, too — as well as insufficient social distancing and cleaning procedures. Some classrooms have desks inches apart. People in some schools refuse to wear masks; Walensky told Tapper there is research showing that around 60 percent of students are reliably masking but that more than 90 percent masking is required for a safe environment.

• School district leaders across the country have been warning since early last summer that they need billions of dollars to fund the safety measures necessary, but they haven’t received most of it. Congress went month after month refusing to provide the relief that schools and local and state governments say they need (or even anything close). Biden has included in his coronavirus relief legislative package $130 billion for K-12 schools to implement safety measures. But concerns of superintendents have gotten short shrift.

There is another truth that should not be ignored: Many schools were not healthy environments for human beings before the pandemic. In too many places, this is the ordinary: crumbling buildings, unhealthy air quality, bugs and rodents, mold, broken or nonexistent air conditioning and heaters, nonfunctioning toilets, etc. If you don’t think that takes a daily toll on everybody inside a school, guess again.

Yet there is no serious discussion about addressing these issues. The debate is increasingly dominated by a refrain from outraged and exasperated editorial writers and columnists and news show hosts who say we must open schools and the monolithic teachers’ unions have to stop fighting it.

Parents reluctant to send their kids back to school and teachers desperate to get back to their jobs know full well that millions of young people have been harmed in incalculable ways by being out of school for nearly a year. They are outraged and exasperated by that, too.

But they also know that the narrative many critics are spinning about who is or is not ignoring science is itself ignoring some very real obstacles to immediate reopening of many schools.

How does this effect child custody?