MAPLEWOOD — A Seth Boyden Elementary School second grade student suffered “emotional harm” when her teacher removed her hijab in the classroom in front of classmates, a lawsuit against the district and the teacher by the Wyatt family said.
South Orange-Maplewood School District teacher Tamar Herman approached the student, who was sitting at her desk in the classroom on Oct. 6, 2021, “grabbed her hijab, pulling it back, touching her face and hair and exposing S.W.’s uncovered head to the class,” said the lawsuit.
The child then yelled, “That’s my hijab,” read the legal complaint, filed March 4 by the family’s attorney, Robert Tarver.
Shortly after the incident, through a family friend, Herman said it was a misunderstanding. She said she asked the student to raise the hood of her sweatshirt because it was covering her eyes and she brushed up the front of the hood. The child, she has said, was not wearing her usual hijab underneath, so she left the hood on her head.
Herman could not be reached for comment on the lawsuit.
There is no mention of a hooded sweatshirt in the complaint.
The lawsuit said the Wyatt family is African American and Muslim, and that the child has worn a hijab since she was 9 months old, and to school every day.
The lawsuit also alleges other “abusive” incidents involving Herman and African American students.
The school board and other school employees are also named in the lawsuit for deliberately not documenting and reporting Herman’s actions. Had those situations been documented and addressed, said the lawsuit, the episode involving the hijab might not have occurred.
The 7-year-old girl was emotionally harmed by the incident and its fallout, the complaint read. The student returned to class a few weeks after the incident, but in January her parents withdrew her from the school and asked that she be transferred to another school in the district, the suit read. The district has not transferred the student to another school, the suit said.
The lawsuit accuses the school district and Herman of negligence, intentionally causing emotional distress and violating state law against discrimination. It also accuses Herman of assault through offensive physical conduct.
Herman has taught elementary school for 30 years. She was placed on administrative leave shortly after the incident and has not returned to school. Her lawyer at the time, Samantha Harris, has said her client hadn’t realized the student was wearing a hood in place of her hijab. Harris said in an email that she is no longer representing Herman.
The South Orange-Maplewood School District dress code does not permit hats or head coverings, except for religious or medical reasons.
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The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office investigated the alleged bias incident and declined to charge the teacher in January.
“Following a full investigation and a thorough review of all the available evidence and the applicable law, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office has concluded that there is insufficient evidence to sustain a criminal prosecution in this case,” the office said in a brief, two-paragraph statement.
“While we understand that many may find the incident troubling, as prosecutors we have a legal and moral obligation to only bring charges in cases where we believe we can prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a crime has been committed. For those reasons, we will not move forward with this case.”
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Herman received threatening emails and needed police protection shortly after the news broke.
The student’s mother, Cassandra Wyatt, has said her daughter has been unwilling to wear her hijab again and has had bad dreams after the incident.
The incident was again brought up during this week’s school board meeting by a speaker who asked the board members to apologize to Herman and clear her of all wrongdoing.
Talya Rothenberg, a resident of Maplewood, said during public comments that the mother of the child knocked on the door of the teacher’s home on Jan. 28 and apologized to her.
Rothenberg said Herman’s reputation and life as she knew it were “forever dismantled and destroyed” when the district and many in the Maplewood community, including local rabbis, rushed to judge her and unfairly linked her behavior to Islamophobia when it was actually well-intended.
No one connected to the incident confirmed the apology.
Tarver said he was not able to comment due to the ongoing lawsuit.
South Orange-Maplewood Superintendent Ronald Taylor told Rothenberg this was a personnel matter under litigation and the school district could not comment.
The incident gained international attention last year after Olympic fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad, a Maplewood native, posted about it on Instagram. Muhammad was the first Muslim American Olympian to compete for the U.S. in a hijab.
Mary Ann Koruth covers education for NorthJersey.com. To get unlimited access to the latest news about New Jersey’s schools and how it affects your children, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
Email: koruthm@northjersey.com
Twitter: @MaryAnnKoruth
Looking for something fun to do with the kids? Or maybe you just want to practice your putting! Either way, here is a guide of some mini-golf courses around New Jersey.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many mini-golf courses may have restrictions and rules, and may be temporarily closed. Please call the facility before visiting for the most updated information.
Below is Insider NJ’s Morning Intelligence Briefing:
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I saw more Ukraine flags than Trump flags. It was close.” – Rep. Malinowski on traveling through GOP terrain in Hunterdon and Warren counties
TOP STORY: From Kenya: Morris County Dems Vice Chair Not Resigning
The statewide cumulative COVID-19 count stands at 1,935,664 cases and 30,358 confirmed fatalities (and 309,254 probable cases and 3,018 probable fatalities) as of Sunday (an increase of 1,527 confirmed cases, 292 probable cases, 2 lab-confirmed fatalities, and 7 hospital-reported fatalities from the previous day). The viral transmission rate is 1.14. There are 462 total hospitalizations, with 55 in intensive care units. There are 6,856,047 people fully vaccinated.
The state is spending $21M on programs to fight climate change, according to NJ.com.
Governor Murphy vowed to cut business and pension ties with Russia, but it hasn’t happened yet, according to NJ.com.
Mercer County Community College named Deborah Preston as its new President, according to ROI-NJ.
The RWJ Somerset hospital was approved for expansion, according to MyCentralJersey.
Rep. Smith called for the prosecution of Russian President Putin for war crimes.
ICYMI: Murphy marked the historic opening day of adult-use cannabis sales; US Atty charged Dion Marsh with hate crimes; poll finds majority support self-serve gas option w/ full-serve retained; support dropping significantly for COVID measures; Murphy signed order clarifying vax requirements; Sherrill, Murphy highlighted federal child care funding; Sweeney discusses plans on affordability; Burke discusses future of dining following the pandemic
Morris County Democratic Chairman Chip Robinson announced his impending resignation, with a mix of factors leading to his decision. The chairman had presided over several strong years for Democrats in the county, including the election of CD11 Rep. Sherrill, the increase of Democratic voters in the county, and successful wins at local levels, though had also been embroiled in several controversies, including a local fight with Dover Alderman Correa, and facing criticism over 2021 commissioner candidate AJ Oliver following the surfacing of his pro-life views. In his statement, Robinson, who called for a female successor, said that the executive board would also be resigning – but there’s been pushback, notably from Vice Chair Robin Gurin, who wrote in an open letter that she won’t resign, and that is was ‘presumptuous and disrespectful‘ and ‘flat out wrong’. A party meeting to select a new chair will be held, with Mendham committeewoman Amalia Duarte’s name already being mentioned as a possibility. Governor Murphy praised Robinson as a ‘tremendous leader’ and a ‘partner in all the success we’ve had’. Sherrill praised Robinson’s ‘keen understanding of the possibilities’ and the ‘important progress’ made during the last few years.
Passaic County GOP Sheriff candidate Troy Oswald was ruled ineligible to run for the office, failing to meet the 3-year residency requirement, according to NorthJersey.com.
In CD8, Peace Action endorsed Democratic primary candidate Ocampo Grajales, according to Hudson County View.
ICYMI: Morris GOP welcomed Oliver following party switch; in CD7, 2nd Amendment Society endorsed Peterson; Kean swiped at Malinowski; Pinkin held primary ballot drawing following court order over cancellation; ‘Democrats For Life’ fired off letter to DNC Chair protesting treatment of Oliver’s pro-life stance; Insider NJ’s Who’s Up And Who’s Down; Norcross says ‘new direction’ needed for SJ Dems; Jones galvanized North Jersey Dems; dynamics of Kean v. Malinowski; in CD8, HCDO challenged petitions of Varela, who withdrew
In Paterson, mayoral candidate former Councilman Goow held a fundraiser on Thursday evening, with endorsements given to him from former Ward 2 Councilman Akhtaruzzaman and former Ward 1 Councilman Davis. A judge ruled that Councilman Mendez can run for mayor, according to Paterson Times.
In Asbury Park, a fight has resulted in claims of racism against a police officer, according to the Asbury Park Press.
In Bayonne, Council Presidnet Ashe Nadrowski’s measures to start over on the MOTBY plan got no backing from her colleagues, according to Hudson County View.
In Bedminster, the committee discussed broadband wiring in Pottersville, according to NJ Hills.
In Boonton, the state awarded $73k for the construction of a public outdoor seating plaza, according to NJ Hills.
In Caldwell, the council approved concept plans for a new Borough Hall and Community Center, according to NJ Hills.
In Chatham, listening sessions with councilmembers are offered on the Post Office Plaza redevelopment, according to NJ Hills.
In Clark, police voted ‘no confidence’ in the mayor after the racist recordings leak, according to NJ.com.
In Cliffside Park, 22-year old Kleidon Ndreu won a BOE seat, according to the Bergen Record.
In Eatontown, the Democratic primary will be contested after a judge’s ruling, according to the Asbury Park Press.
In Englewood Cliffs, a state lawsuit alleges the town breached the affordable housing deal, according to the Bergen Record.
In Florham Park, the budget was approved, according to TAPinto.
In Hillsborough, the GOP selected John Ciccarelli to run for committee, according to TAPinto.
In Hoboken, the Cannabis Review Board voted down two dispensary applications and approved one, according to Hudson County View.
In Howell, a judge ruled that GOP-backed primary candidates can remain on the ballot, according to the Asbury Park Press.
In Lawnside, the Historical Society received a grant for free summer camp, according to the Courier Post.
In Mount Laurel, the township and volunteers are making an effort to save PAWS Farm, according to Burlington County Times.
In Phillipsburg, a multi-vehicle crash cut power to hundreds, according to Lehigh Valley Live.
In Prospect Park, Zach Tahhan was given the ‘key to the city’, according to TAPinto.
In Randolph, the council approved the budget, according to TAPinto. Poff is the new town manager, according to NJ Hills.
In Summit, objections were raised against a subdivision project, according to TAPinto.
In Union City, a cop filed a lawsuit alleging the chief made ‘bogus disciplinary accusations’ to prevent a promotion, according to Hudson County View.
In West Caldwell, the council will introduce the budget next week, according to TAPinto.
In Wildwood, boardwalk repairs seem to be on track for completion by Memorial Day, according to the Press of Atlantic City.
ICYMI: In Belleville, Ciattarelli endorsed Melham; in Paterson, CWA endorsed Sayegh, Murphy doubled down on support for Sayegh; in Bayonne, 32BJ endorsed Ashe Nadrowski, Kopacz endorsed Team Davis; in Dover, McCourt slammed Correa following commissioner challenger slate removal from ballot; in Eatontown, Story won a lawsuit to be on ballot; in Bloomfield, Strumolo passed away; in Paterson, the heated mayoral race continues, as endorsements come in for Sayegh (Murphy) and Mendez (Torres); in Newark, the South Ward candidates clashed in forum, South Ward candidate Cherry hopes to use her own story of financial freedom to help others, Rice endorsed Kelly, all eyes on Kelly’s first submitted ELEC report, Adams fundraised for Baraka, Essex Building Trades made endorsements, Montague has uphill climb in her quest to take on City Hall; in Mendham, the culture wars descended; in Bayonne, Nadrowski fired another salvo at Davis; in Newark, the Firefighters issued endorsements, West Ward council candidates Kelly and Onyema tangled over mayor’s affections, James and Kelly continued to clash following forum
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TRENTON — Gas prices have rebounded in New Jersey and around the nation amid concerns about higher global oil prices and renewed seasonal demand.
AAA Mid-Atlantic says the average price of a gallon of regular gas in New Jersey on Friday was $4.09, up five cents from last week. Drivers were paying $2.89 a gallon on average a year ago at this time.
The national average price for a gallon of regular gasoline was $4.12, also up five cents from last week. Drivers were paying $2.88 a gallon on average a year ago at this time.
Analysts say crude oil prices crept up above $100 a barrel amid the war in Ukraine and the fear of less Russian oil entering the market. At the same time, demand is increasing with warmer weather and prices at the pump are dipping from record highs.
Gas prices in New Jersey showed signs of lowering earlier this month. The cost for a gallon of regular averaged $4.04 last week, the lowest in a month.
Governor Phil Murphy promised some form of tax relief earlier this month. Murphy was vague about the details while speaking on News 12.
“I’m not sure it’s direct to gas,” Murphy said, “but I’m virtually certain it’s something.”
We’re coming up on another summer at the Jersey Shore! Before you get lost in the excitement of sunny days on the sand, we’re running down how much seasonal/weekly/daily beach tags will cost you, and the pre-season deals you can still take advantage of!
In 2012 the Nets made their Brooklyn debut, but before that, New Jersey was the home of the Nets dating back to 1977.
The franchise was born in 1967, under the name the New Jersey Americans. They played their games in Teaneck as part of the American Basketball Association. One year later they moved to Long Island, becoming the New York Nets.
It was there the team won two ABA championships in 1973-74 and 1975-76. The very next year the Nets, along with three other basketball franchises, were absorbed into the NBA as part of a merger deal, abolishing the ABA.
When the Nets first moved to New Jersey, they played their home games at the Rutgers Athletic Center in Piscataway. Then in 1981, they moved into the home many of us remember them in the most, the Brendan Byrne Arena in the Meadowlands in East Rutherford (later named the Continental Airlines Arena, then Izod center).
After years of losing, The Nets made it to two straight NBA Finals in 2001-02 and 2002-03. In 2002-03, the final time they sniffed the championship, the team lost to the San Antonio Spurs.
It would be the last time the Nets sniffed the title, but their efforts added them to New Jersey lore forever.
This article was posted online by Essex News Daily. Spot On New Jersey collects excepts of news articles from this source and add these in the ‘Gateway’-category.
NEWARK, NJ — John Carpenter, 41, of Lebanon, Mo., has been charged with endangering the welfare of a child, sexual assault, manufacturing child exploitation material and subjecting two young children to sexual abuse, according to an April 19 press release from the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.
The charges arose out of an investigation that started in South Carolina, where authorities discovered videos of two young girls engaged in sexual acts may have been sent from Newark. Because of the connection to Newark, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office became involved in December 2021 and identified the two children as two Newark sisters, ages 11 and 9.
As a result of the investigation, which is ongoing, the defendant is facing federal child pornography charges and is being held without bond in Missouri.
Acting Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II praised all agencies involved, noting this case is yet another example of the danger that young children face online.
The charges are accusations. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they enter a guilty plea or are found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Victims of sexual abuse by members of the clergy say they are still waiting for the state to fulfill its promise of a decades-long lookback investigating allegations of predators in the church. Pixabay
Todd Kostrub has been awaiting a reckoning for nearly four years.
New Jersey officials raised his hopes in September 2018, when they announced the creation of a special task force to investigate decades-old allegations of sexual abuse by members of the clergy that had long been kept secret.
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NEW JERSEY — The most up-to-date information on coronavirus news impacting New Jersey. You can find additional resources and coverage on our coronavirus page.
A new report from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention is painting a clearer picture of hospitalizations among 5-11-year-olds during the omicron surge at the start of 2022.
The study revealed that unvaccinated 5-11-year-olds were twice as likely to end up in the hospital with COVID-19 as those who were vaccinated. ADVERTISING
The Justice Department is filing an appeal seeking to overturn a judge’s order that voided the federal mask mandate on planes and trains and in travel hubs, officials said Wednesday.
The notice came minutes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention asked the Justice Department to appeal the decision handed down by a federal judge in Florida earlier this week.
A decision by a federal judge in Florida to throw out a national mask mandate in public transportation across the U.S. created a patchwork of rules Monday that vary by city and mode of transit.
The mask mandate has been dropped for NJ Transit buses and trains, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said Tuesday, April 19. The decision comes following a federal judge’s ruling that struck down the nationwide mask mandate on public transportation and an announcement by the TSA that it would no longer require face coverings.
A federal judge in Florida on Monday, April 18, voided the national mask mandate covering airplanes and other public transportation as exceeding the authority of U.S. health officials in the coronavirus pandemic.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on Thursday, April 15, that it had authorized the first test to detect COVID-19 through breath for emergency use.
The Biden administration announced on Wednesday, April 13, that it is extending the nationwide mask requirement for public transit for 15 days as it monitors an uptick in COVID-19 cases.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it was extending the order, which was set to expire on April 18, until May 3 to allow more time to study the BA.2 omicron subvariant that is now responsible for the vast majority of cases in the U.S.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy tested positive for COVID-19, officials announced on Thursday, March 31. He’s asymptomatic and feeling well, but was set to cancel all events and isolate for five days.
Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine works in babies, toddlers and preschoolers, the company announced on March 23 — and if regulators agree it could mean a chance to finally start vaccinating the littlest kids by summer.
Drugmaker Moderna asked the Food and Drug Administration on March 17 to authorize a fourth shot of its COVID-19 vaccine as a booster dose for all adults.
Scientists are learning more about a hybrid variant of COVID-19 that has been detected called “deltacron.” Deltacron was first reported early this year, when it was thought to be a co-infection of the omicron and delta coronavirus variants (meaning people were possibly infected with two variants at once). Now, researchers believe it’s a single, hybrid variant that combines genes from both delta and omicron.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is developing guidance that will ease the nationwide mask mandate on airplanes, buses and other mass transit, according to a U.S. official, but the existing face-covering requirement will be extended through April 18.
As New Jersey health officials continue to report progress in beating back the latest wave of COVID-19 infections, Gov. Phil Murphy on March 7 allowed schools to drop the mask mandate. However, not all school districts across the state opted to drop masking rules.
On March 4, 2020, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy received word that the state recorded its first case of COVID-19. He recalled the day on Friday, March 4, exactly two years later, during what he said was his last in-person COVID-19 briefing.
Most Americans live in places where healthy people, including students in schools, can safely take a break from wearing masks under new U.S. guidelines released Friday, March 4.
While COVID numbers continue to decline in New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy announced an end to the state’s mask mandate for public schools. The governor said students and school staff can go maskless beginning March 7. The statewide mandate has been in effect since the start of the academic year in September.
As COVID cases caused by the omicron variant finally start to wane in the U.S., is it time to look ahead to the next variant? And will we need another booster shot to protect us from it?
Pfizer on Tuesday, Feb. 1, asked the U.S. to authorize extra-low doses of its COVID-19 vaccine for children under 5, potentially opening the way for the very youngest Americans to start receiving shots as early as March.
A military medical team is now on the ground in Newark, New Jersey after arriving early Thursday, Jan. 20 to assist with the surge in COVID-19 patients and staff shortages that has left University Hospital overwhelmed.
As New Jersey’s COVID numbers start to slowly drop, Gov. Phil Murphy predicted Thursday, Jan. 20 that schools in the Garden State could reach a point before the end of this school year where masks are no longer required.
U.S. health officials on Friday, Jan. 14, encouraged more Americans to wear the kind of N95 or KN95 masks used by health care workers to slow the spread of COVID-19. Those kinds of masks are considered better at filtering viruses from the air. But they previously were in short supply, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials had said they should be prioritized for health care workers.
Gov. Phil Murphy renewed his Public Health Emergency and State of Emergency declarations for the Garden State on Tuesday, Jan. 11. The executive order allows state agencies and departments to use resources to assist in the battle against COVID-19, according to a release from the governor’s office.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy delivered his State of the State address on Tuesday, Jan. 11, as the Garden State continued to grapple with another wave of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.
“Our state remains on a war footing against a virus that has now taken on a new form. Omicron is doing its best to stop us in our tracks and push us back. We will not let it,” Murphy said.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) shortened the amount of time Moderna recipients need to wait to get a booster dose from six months to five months, aligning the timeline with Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine.
The agency announced it amended its emergency use authorization for the Moderna vaccine to allow adults to get a booster dose a month earlier than previously.
Officials, including Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, cited the highly transmissible omicron variant as reasoning for the update.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention updated their recommendation for when many people can get the Pfizer COVID booster shot, shortening the interval from six months to five months.
The booster wait times for those who received the Johnson & Johnson (two months)or the Moderna vaccines (six months), have not changed.
Additionally, the CDC also recommended that moderately or severely immunocompromised children 5 to 11 years old receive an additional, third dose of the Pfizer vaccine 28 days after their second shot.
COVID-19 hospitalizations in New Jersey have blown passed the peak number reported during last winter’s surge, state Health Department data showed on Monday, Jan. 3. There were 4,715 people hospitalized on Sunday, Jan. 2. By comparison, the peak daily number of hospitalizations during last winter’s surge was 3,873.
New Jersey’s first lady Tammy Murphy tested positive for COVID-19 on a rapid antigen test, a spokesperson said on Sunday, Jan. 2. Gov. Phil Murphy and the rest of his family tested negative, but will continue to test regularly in the coming days, the spokesperson said.
As COVID cases continue to surge across New Jersey, the cities of Hoboken and Paterson enacted new indoor mask mandates. Meanwhile, Newark geared up for a new vaccine mandate for indoor dining and entertainment venues.
As New Jersey continues to see a startling spike in COVID-19 cases statewide, the Paterson school district announced on Wednesday, Dec. 22, that students will start 2022 remotely. They were initially expected to return to classrooms on Jan. 4, however given the spike in COVID cases, they will learn remotely from Jan. 4 through Jan. 17. School buildings will reopen on Jan. 18.
As demand for COVID-19 tests explodes across the tri-state area, City MD is “temporarily closing” 31 locations to “preserve [the] ability to staff sites.”
Folks in Newark will need to mask up before they enter indoor public spaces under an executive order signed on Monday, Dec. 19, by Mayor Ras Baraka. The indoor mask mandate was issued as the state and city continue to see a concerning spike in COVID-19 cases, spurred by the omicron and delta variants.
With the omicron variant on the rise, President Joe Biden announced 500 million free rapid tests for Americans, increasing support for hospitals under strain from the variant and an emphasis on vaccination and boosting efforts.
Need to get tested for COVID-19? A new federally funded program allows New Jersey residents to request a free at-home COVID-19 test kit.
Moderna said recent data on its booster shot showed that the third dose of the COVID vaccine significantly increased antibody levels against the omicron variant.
According to the company, the currently authorized booster dose increased omicron-neutralizing antibodies approximately 37-fold, compared to pre-boost levels.
Researchers at Oregon Health and Science University say they’ve found evidence to suggest that breakthrough infections create “super immunity” to the virus that causes COVID-19.
“You can’t get a better immune response than this,” senior author Fikadu Tafesse, Ph.D., an assistant professor at the OHSU School of Medicine, said.
Wondering if you have a cold or the highly transmissible omicron variant of the coronavirus?
Well, based on the top five symptoms according to one study, it might be hard to tell.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy marked the one-year anniversary of the first COVID-19 vaccinations in the state on Wednesday, Dec. 15, by promoting booster shots.
The U.S. death toll from COVID-19 topped 800,000 on Dec. 14, a once-unimaginable figure seen as doubly tragic, given that more than 200,000 of those lives were lost after the vaccine became available last spring.
Beginning Monday, Dec. 6, travelers heading to the U.S. will be required to show evidence of a negative COVID test within one day of boarding their flight instead of three days prior, regardless of their nationality or vaccination status. See what you need to know here.
Additionally, the TSA will extend the requirement to wear a mask on planes, trains, subways and other public transportation hubs including airports and bus terminals through the winter.
There’s one thing we keep hearing from the scientists who’ve gotten a close look at the omicron version of the virus: It’s really mutated. More mutations don’t necessarily make a virus more dangerous, but viruses evolve over time to increase their chance of survival, which can be bad for humans.
Gov. Phil Murphy and New Jersey Department of Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli said New Jersey’s first omicron case was confirmed on Friday, Dec. 3, in a fully vaccinated woman who visited New Jersey from Georgia.
The first known case of the omicron variant of COVID-19 was identified in California, the White House and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on Wednesday, Dec. 1. Dr. Anthony Fauci said the person was a traveler who returned from South Africa on Nov. 22 and tested positive on Nov. 29.
The Food and Drug Administration panel voted 13-10 that the antiviral drug’s benefits outweigh its risks, including potential birth defects if used during pregnancy.
Omicron, the latest COVID-19 variant of concern designated by the World Health Organization, gets its name from a letter in the Greek alphabet. But unlike the alpha or delta variants before it, omicron might not roll off the tongue so naturally to English speakers.
Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla said he expects COVID cases to rise until at least the new year, and he’s asking people to remain vigilant over the holiday season as both New Jersey and New York closely monitor for the first cases of the omicron variant.
The United States’ ban on non-citizen travel from South Africa and seven additional African nations began on Monday, Nov. 29, due to omicron, a new COVID-19 variant of concern, White House officials said.
The United States announced on Dec. 24 it would lift the ban.
The announcement of a COVID-19 variant called omicron by scientists in South Africa, where it was first detected, has sent governments and financial markets around the world reeling. Click here to learn more about what experts know about the new “variant of concern.”
South African scientists have identified a new version of the coronavirus that they say is behind a recent spike in COVID-19 infections in Gauteng, the country’s most populous province. It’s unclear where the new variant actually arose, but it was first detected by scientists in South Africa and has also been seen in travelers to Belgium, Botswana, Hong Kong and Israel.
The U.S. on Friday, Nov. 19, opened COVID-19 booster shots to all adults and took the extra step of urging people 50 and older to seek one, aiming to ward off a winter surge as coronavirus cases rise even before millions of Americans travel for the holidays.
Pfizer said it would grant a license for the antiviral pill to the Geneva-based Medicines Patent Pool, which would let generic drug companies produce the pill for use in 95 countries, making up about 53% of the world’s population.
Time is running out if you plan to be fully vaccinated against COVID by the holidays. Click here for the deadlines to be fully vaccinated before each holiday.
More than a year and a half after COVID-19 concerns prompted the U.S. to close its borders to international travelers from countries including Brazil, China, India, South Africa, the United Kingdom and much of Europe, restrictions are shifting to focus on vaccine status.
Bans on travel from specific countries ended on Nov. 8. The U.S. will allow in international travelers, but they must be vaccinated — with a few exceptions.
The U.S. also reopened the land borders with Canada and Mexico for vaccinated people. Most trips from Canada and Mexico to the U.S. are by land rather than air.
U.S. health officials on Nov. 2 gave the final signoff to Pfizer’s kid-size COVID-19 shot, a milestone that opens a major expansion of the nation’s vaccination campaign to children as young as 5.
The Food and Drug Administration already authorized the shots for children ages 5 to 11 — doses just a third of the amount given to teens and adults. But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention formally recommends who should receive FDA-cleared vaccines.
People who have received COVID-19 vaccinations are able to spread the delta variant within their household just as easily as unvaccinated individuals, a new study published on Oct. 29, shows.
As inner-party conflict continues to shave off elements of President Joe Biden’s sweeping domestic policy package, there may be good news for parents. While it’s unclear what the ultimate bill will include, Democrats arrived at a framework Thursday, Oct. 28, that included a one-year extension of the expanded child tax credit.
Moderna said on Oct. 25 that a low dose of its COVID-19 vaccine is safe and appears to work in 6- to 11-year-olds, as the manufacturer moves toward expanding shots to children.
Federal health regulators said late Oct. 22, that kid-size doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine appear highly effective at preventing symptomatic infections in elementary school children and caused no unexpected safety issues, as the U.S. weighs beginning vaccinations in youngsters.
New Jersey is among the top 10 states in the country with the highest COVID-19 vaccination rates at 74%. Helping to lead the charge is Paterson, which has a 90% vaccination rate.
Many state employees returned to in-person work on Oct. 18, the same day Gov. Phil Murphy’s requirement for them to either be vaccinated against COVID-19 or submit to regular virus testing went into effect. The vaccine or test mandate also applies to teachers in New Jersey.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention released updated COVID-19 safety guidance for the holiday season on Friday, Oct. 15, including getting vaccinated, wearing a mask indoors if you’re not vaccinated and avoiding crowded and poorly ventilated spaces.
Dr. William Hu, the Chief of the Division of Cognitive Neurology at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, is leading a team trying to figure out what brain fog is and how it’s connected to COVID-19.
An FDA panel unanimously recommended a Johnson and Johnson booster vaccine on Friday, Oct. 15. The terms of the endorsement essentially call for the J&J COVID-19 vaccine to be a two-dose shot, rather than the one-dose shot for which it’s been known since it first got emergency use authorization last spring.
The panel called for a second shot to be available to people 18 and older, at least two months after the first shot.
A panel of medical experts affiliated with the Food and Drug Administration endorsed a COVID vaccine booster from Moderna on Thursday, Oct. 14. The panel recommended a half dose as a booster.
Vice President Kamala Harris made a stop in New Jersey on Friday, Oct. 8, to discuss the state’s latest vaccination efforts. She visited a day care center to highlight child care provisions in the president’s spending proposal as well as a vaccination site at Essex Community College.
UNICEF released a critical report on Friday, Oct. 8, which found that children and young people could feel the impact of the pandemic on their mental health for many years to come.
The Pfizer vaccine for kids could be on the market in about a month after the drug maker filed for FDA authorization Thursday, Oct. 7, for their shot for kids ages 5 to 11.
However, many parents still have questions about the children’s COVID vaccine. Dr. Sallie Permar, the head of pediatrics at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, joined the PIX11 Morning News on Friday, Oct. 8, to share more information and answer some of the biggest questions.
Parents tired of worrying about classroom outbreaks and sick of telling their elementary school-age children no to sleepovers and family gatherings felt a wave of relief Thursday, Oct. 7, when Pfizer asked the U.S. government to authorize its COVID-19 vaccine for youngsters ages 5 to 11.
Two New Jersey mayors are going head-to-head in an effort to get more people vaccinated against COVID-19. It’s all part of the ongoing vaccination campaign in the Garden State that has already propelled it as one of the nation’s leaders in the fight against COVID-19. Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh is squaring off with Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora in what the state is calling the “Mayors Vaccine Challenge.”
As of Tuesday, Sept. 28, more than 1 million cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in New Jersey since the pandemic reached the state in 2020.
Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE announced they have submitted initial data to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from the Phase 2/3 trial of their COVID-19 vaccine in children 5 to 11.
In the trial, which included 2,268 participants 5 to 11 years of age, the vaccine demonstrated a favorable safety profile and elicited robust neutralizing antibody responses using a two-dose regimen of 10 μg doses.
Unemployed New Jersey residents could earn a $500 bonus to return to the workforce as part of a new program announced by Gov. Phil Murphy on Monday, Sept. 27. The “Return and Earn” initiative will offer the one-time bonus to folks who secure a job through the program, including positions that require on-the-job training.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday, Sept. 23, endorsed booster shots for millions of older or otherwise vulnerable Americans. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky signed off on the recommendations from a panel of advisers, but then overnight added one more the panel had rejected.
The panel had voted against saying that people ages 18 to 64 can get a booster if they are health-care workers or have another job that puts them at increased risk of being exposed to the virus.
The FDA authorized booster doses for Americans who are 65 and older, younger people with underlying health conditions and those in jobs that put them at high-risk for COVID-19. The ruling represents a drastically scaled back version of the Biden administration’s sweeping plan to give third doses to nearly all American adults to shore up their protection amid the spread of the highly contagious delta variant.
Johnson & Johnson on Tuesday, Sept. 21, said new data shows a second dose — or a booster shot — of their one-shot COVID vaccine was found to be 94% effective against symptomatic COVID-19 when given two months after the initial dose.
Pfizer said Monday, Sept. 20, its COVID-19 vaccine works for children ages 5 to 11 and that it will seek U.S. authorization for this age group soon — a key step toward beginning vaccinations for youngsters.
Gov. Phil Murphy said all child care workers and facility employees need to be fully vaccinated by Nov. 1 or face regular weekly testing. As of Sept. 24, all employees, students and children in a facility’s care ages two and up will need to wear masks indoors, with limited exceptions.
A study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention compared how effective each of the three COVID-19 vaccines are in preventing hospitalization from the virus. The CDC reported that effectiveness was higher for the Moderna vaccine (93%) than the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine (88%) and the J&J vaccine (71%).
Mississippi has surpassed New Jersey as the state with the highest rate of COVID-19 deaths in the U.S., with roughly 1 of every 320 Mississippians having succumbed to the coronavirus.
Recent COVID-19 variants are much more adept at airborne transmission than the original version of the coronavirus, according to a new study. University of Maryland researchers analyzed the Alpha variant first identified in the United Kingdom and discovered that carriers breathe out 43 to 100 times more infectious viral aerosols than those infected with the original strain.
The European Union recommended that its 27 nations reinstate restrictions on tourists from the U.S. because of rising coronavirus infections there.
A new study confirms that vaccinations and even prior COVID-19 infection provide significantly less protection against newer variants. Researchers from Oregon Health & Science University say in order to protect against the Alpha, Beta, and now Delta variants, these findings stress the importance of doubling down on both vaccinations and public health measures during the pandemic.
The rancorous debate over whether returning students should wear masks in the classroom has moved from school boards to courtrooms. In at least 14 states, lawsuits have been filed either for or against masks in schools. In some cases, normally rule-enforcing school administrators are finding themselves fighting state leaders in the name of keeping kids safe.
The Supreme Court’s conservative majority is allowing evictions to resume across the United States, blocking the Biden administration from enforcing a temporary ban that was put in place because of the coronavirus pandemic. New Jersey’s statewide rent moratorium expires at the end of the year.
Notice your grocery store shelves looking a little bare lately? You’re definitely not the only one. Supply chain issues have created shortages of highly specific ingredients.
The nation’s top infectious disease expert believes the pandemic’s end is near as long as the U.S. follows the right protocols to contain COVID-19. Dr. Anthony Fauci said he sees the light at the end of the tunnel, but it’s only open if the country’s 80 million to 90 million unvaccinated people are convinced to get the shot.
Comirnaty, who? It’s the same exact mRNA vaccine Pfizer has been producing through the emergency use authorization, but now it’s being marketed under a new name.
Doctors say they’re seeing a new COVID-19 symptom in some patients. According to experts, an earache has been reported more frequently by those testing positive for COVID. Earaches can cause pain, a feeling of blockage and sometimes muffled hearing.
Johnson & Johnson on Wednesday, Aug. 25, announced new data the company said supports the use of its COVID vaccine as a booster shot for people previously vaccinated with their single-shot vaccine.
J&J said the new data showed that a booster shot of their vaccine generated a “rapid and robust increase in spike-binding antibodies, nine-fold higher than 28 days after the primary single-dose vaccination.”
All school personnel and state workers in New Jersey will be required to get vaccinated against COVID-19, Gov. Phil Murphy announced Monday, Aug. 23.
The Biden administration said Wednesday, Aug. 18, that COVID booster shots will soon be available, but how will the Sept. 20 rollout work, and what side effects should Americans expect?
At least two new COVID-19 variants have hit the United States and they could be worse than the delta variant in their infectiousness and ability to stand up to vaccines, according to a top medical authority.
U.S. health officials recommended all Americans get COVID-19 booster shots to shore up their protection amid the surging delta variant and evidence that the vaccines’ effectiveness is falling. The announcement was made on Aug. 18.
The Senate’s top Democrat says federal law enforcement officials need to crack down on fake COVID-19 vaccination cards being sold online.
The COVID-19 death toll has started soaring again as the delta variant tears through the nation’s unvaccinated population and fills up hospitals with patients, many of whom are younger than during earlier phases of the pandemic.
Concerts and outdoor events are returning, and many are requiring proof of vaccination as part of new safety protocols designed to help prevent the transmission of COVID-19. But while experts say being outdoors is less risky in general, they continue to recommend additional precautions for those visiting crowded outdoor venues.
When the pace of vaccinations in the U.S. first began to slow, President Joe Biden backed incentives like million-dollar cash lotteries if that’s what it took to get shots in arms. But as new COVID infections soar, he’s testing a tougher approach.
It has been eight months since the first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were administered to health care workers nationwide. Since then, the vaccine has become available to anyone ages 5 and older. Experts explain the few instances in which a person would not qualify for, or should delay getting vaccinated.
The FDA has approved an extra, third dose of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for transplant recipients and others with severely weakened immune systems.
With more than 600 colleges and universities now requiring proof of COVID-19 inoculations, an online industry has sprung up offering fake vaccine cards.
Don’t worry if you’ve lost your COVID-19 vaccine card, there are several ways you can get it replaced. No matter where you got your shots, getting a replacement card is possible.
Gov. Murphy said on Aug. 9, a new travel advisory is not off the table, but for now he encouraged mask wearing, which is mandatory in all airports and on flights, and other COVID safety protocols. “You gotta use your head,” he added.
Despite CDC data showing New Jersey falls under its guidance to wear masks indoors, Gov. Murphy said he will not yet mandate face coverings but added, “we leave all options on the table.”
Indoor masking is advised in areas with COVID transmission rates considered “substantial” or “high” under recently updated guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As of Aug. 8, all of New Jersey falls under those categories.
So you’ve tested positive for COVID – but which COVID exactly? Is there a way to tell if you have the highly transmissible delta variant? There is a way to tell, but there’s not really a way for you to tell.
COVID-19 breakthrough cases are rising, and now people want to know which vaccine offers the best protection from the coronavirus.
Hospitals around the United States, especially in the South, are starting to fill back up again as the delta variant tears though the country. With previous waves of infection, we’ve been most worried about the elderly being vulnerable. Now, it’s younger people – even children – starting to show up in hospital beds.
New Jersey Republicans have largely trashed Gov. Phil Murphy’s announcement on Aug 6 that masks will be required in all schools in the upcoming academic year.
In a reversal of plans, Gov. Phil Murphy announced on Aug. 6 a mandate for masks in schools for the upcoming academic year.
Gov. Phil Murphy signed an executive order on Aug. 6 mandating that all workers in state and private health care facilities either be vaccinated for COVID-19 or tested for it twice a week.
The United States reached a vaccination milestone on Aug. 6: 50% of the population, all ages, were fully vaccinated, the White House COVID-19 data director confirmed.
Even people who have recovered from COVID-19 are urged to get vaccinated, especially as the extra-contagious delta variant surges — and a new study shows survivors who ignored that advice were more than twice as likely to get reinfected.
Moderna said its COVID vaccine has 93% efficacy six months after the second shot, according to a report released on Aug. 5.
It’s unclear, but researchers are studying the chances of long-term symptoms developing in anyone who might get infected after vaccination.
The latest surge in COVID-19 infections is fueled by the highly contagious delta variant first identified in India late last year. Now, a variation of that variant is beginning to generate headlines. Here’s what we know about the COVID sub-strain being called delta plus.
Currently, some state colleges in New Jersey are mandating the COVID-19 vaccine for students and staff and some have made it optional. Murphy said a universal mandate “is certainly an option,” but for now individual universities can make their own call.
Dr. Anthony Fauci warned on Aug. 1 that more “pain and suffering” is on the horizon as COVID-19 cases climb again and officials plead with unvaccinated Americans to get their shots.
Walmart associates who work in multiple facilities, and associates of its campus office, needed to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by Oct. 4. Walmart also required associates, including those fully vaccinated, to wear masks in its stores.
A popular restaurant in New Jersey closed its doors after 65 years of service.
The Fireplace, like many other restaurants across the country, was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and temporarily shuttered its doors before reopening in May, when they implemented drive-thru, takeout and curbside pickup followed by indoor dining in October.
A report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention emphasized the delta variant is more dangerous and fast-spreading than first thought. The findings also made clear why efforts to get more people vaccinated are vital.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new information on July 30, saying the coronavirus delta variant can spread as easily as chickenpox.
The effectiveness of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine wanes slightly over time but it remains strongly protective for at least six months after the second dose, according to company data released on July 28.
Beginning July 30, Disney World required all visitors ages 2 and older to wear a face covering while indoors as well as in Disney buses, the monorail and the Disney Skyliner, regardless of vaccination status.
Gov. Phil Murphy and New Jersey Department of Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli strongly recommended that both vaccinated and unvaccinated residents wear masks in indoor settings when there is increased risk.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reversed course on some masking guidelines, recommending that even vaccinated people return to wearing masks indoors in parts of the U.S. where the coronavirus is surging.
The United States is in an “unnecessary predicament” of soaring COVID-19 cases fueled by unvaccinated Americans and the virulent delta variant, the nation’s top infectious diseases expert said on July 25.
HIPAA was signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1996 during a time when medical records were being computerized. It was created to simplify the administration of health insurance and to prevent unauthorized access to peoples’ medical histories.
In fact, HIPAA doesn’t block anyone from asking another person about their health status, according to Alan Meisel, law professor and bioethics expert at the University of Pittsburgh.
The parents of an estimated 60 million American children began receiving child tax credit payments from the IRS in mid-July in a move expected to lift millions of families above the poverty baseline for the remainder of 2021. Should they become permanent?
President Joe Biden was forced to confront the worrying reality of rising cases and deaths — and the limitations of his ability to combat the persistent vaccine hesitance responsible for a summer backslide.
Statins, a common medication for lowering cholesterol, may be saving lives among patients with COVID-19. A study revealed hospitalized coronavirus patients who took statins were much less likely to die from the illness.
The head of the World Health Organization acknowledged on July 15, 2021, that it was premature to rule out a potential link between the COVID-19 pandemic and a laboratory leak.
A study released in July 2021 suggested that exposure to wildfire smoke is linked to an increased risk of contracting COVID-19.
The global death toll from COVID-19 eclipsed 4 million on July 7, 2021, as the crisis increasingly became a race between the vaccine and the highly contagious delta variant.
America’s top infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci said in July that about 99.2% of COVID-19 deaths in the United States involved unvaccinated people. “It’s really sad and tragic that most all of these are avoidable and preventable,” he added.
The workforce shortage is a combination of several factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic, a shift in the economy, and changes in the workforce demographics, experts say.
As of Tuesday, there have been 1,925,710 total positive PCR tests in the state since March 2020, and there have been 30,331 lab-confirmed COVID-19 deaths, according to the state Health Department.
COVID-19 timeline: How novel coronavirus spread
NEW JERSEY — The most up-to-date information on coronavirus news impacting New Jersey. You can find additional resources and coverage on our coronavirus page.
A new report from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention is painting a clearer picture of hospitalizations among 5-11-year-olds during the omicron surge at the start of 2022.
The study revealed that unvaccinated 5-11-year-olds were twice as likely to end up in the hospital with COVID-19 as those who were vaccinated.
The Justice Department is filing an appeal seeking to overturn a judge’s order that voided the federal mask mandate on planes and trains and in travel hubs, officials said Wednesday.
The notice came minutes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention asked the Justice Department to appeal the decision handed down by a federal judge in Florida earlier this week.
A decision by a federal judge in Florida to throw out a national mask mandate in public transportation across the U.S. created a patchwork of rules Monday that vary by city and mode of transit.
The mask mandate has been dropped for NJ Transit buses and trains, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said Tuesday, April 19. The decision comes following a federal judge’s ruling that struck down the nationwide mask mandate on public transportation and an announcement by the TSA that it would no longer require face coverings.
A federal judge in Florida on Monday, April 18, voided the national mask mandate covering airplanes and other public transportation as exceeding the authority of U.S. health officials in the coronavirus pandemic.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on Thursday, April 15, that it had authorized the first test to detect COVID-19 through breath for emergency use.
The Biden administration announced on Wednesday, April 13, that it is extending the nationwide mask requirement for public transit for 15 days as it monitors an uptick in COVID-19 cases.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it was extending the order, which was set to expire on April 18, until May 3 to allow more time to study the BA.2 omicron subvariant that is now responsible for the vast majority of cases in the U.S.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy tested positive for COVID-19, officials announced on Thursday, March 31. He’s asymptomatic and feeling well, but was set to cancel all events and isolate for five days.
Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine works in babies, toddlers and preschoolers, the company announced on March 23 — and if regulators agree it could mean a chance to finally start vaccinating the littlest kids by summer.
Drugmaker Moderna asked the Food and Drug Administration on March 17 to authorize a fourth shot of its COVID-19 vaccine as a booster dose for all adults.
Scientists are learning more about a hybrid variant of COVID-19 that has been detected called “deltacron.” Deltacron was first reported early this year, when it was thought to be a co-infection of the omicron and delta coronavirus variants (meaning people were possibly infected with two variants at once). Now, researchers believe it’s a single, hybrid variant that combines genes from both delta and omicron.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is developing guidance that will ease the nationwide mask mandate on airplanes, buses and other mass transit, according to a U.S. official, but the existing face-covering requirement will be extended through April 18.
As New Jersey health officials continue to report progress in beating back the latest wave of COVID-19 infections, Gov. Phil Murphy on March 7 allowed schools to drop the mask mandate. However, not all school districts across the state opted to drop masking rules.
On March 4, 2020, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy received word that the state recorded its first case of COVID-19. He recalled the day on Friday, March 4, exactly two years later, during what he said was his last in-person COVID-19 briefing.
Most Americans live in places where healthy people, including students in schools, can safely take a break from wearing masks under new U.S. guidelines released Friday, March 4.
While COVID numbers continue to decline in New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy announced an end to the state’s mask mandate for public schools. The governor said students and school staff can go maskless beginning March 7. The statewide mandate has been in effect since the start of the academic year in September.
As COVID cases caused by the omicron variant finally start to wane in the U.S., is it time to look ahead to the next variant? And will we need another booster shot to protect us from it?
Pfizer on Tuesday, Feb. 1, asked the U.S. to authorize extra-low doses of its COVID-19 vaccine for children under 5, potentially opening the way for the very youngest Americans to start receiving shots as early as March.
A military medical team is now on the ground in Newark, New Jersey after arriving early Thursday, Jan. 20 to assist with the surge in COVID-19 patients and staff shortages that has left University Hospital overwhelmed.
As New Jersey’s COVID numbers start to slowly drop, Gov. Phil Murphy predicted Thursday, Jan. 20 that schools in the Garden State could reach a point before the end of this school year where masks are no longer required.
U.S. health officials on Friday, Jan. 14, encouraged more Americans to wear the kind of N95 or KN95 masks used by health care workers to slow the spread of COVID-19. Those kinds of masks are considered better at filtering viruses from the air. But they previously were in short supply, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials had said they should be prioritized for health care workers.
Gov. Phil Murphy renewed his Public Health Emergency and State of Emergency declarations for the Garden State on Tuesday, Jan. 11. The executive order allows state agencies and departments to use resources to assist in the battle against COVID-19, according to a release from the governor’s office.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy delivered his State of the State address on Tuesday, Jan. 11, as the Garden State continued to grapple with another wave of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.
“Our state remains on a war footing against a virus that has now taken on a new form. Omicron is doing its best to stop us in our tracks and push us back. We will not let it,” Murphy said.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) shortened the amount of time Moderna recipients need to wait to get a booster dose from six months to five months, aligning the timeline with Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine.
The agency announced it amended its emergency use authorization for the Moderna vaccine to allow adults to get a booster dose a month earlier than previously.
Officials, including Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, cited the highly transmissible omicron variant as reasoning for the update.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention updated their recommendation for when many people can get the Pfizer COVID booster shot, shortening the interval from six months to five months.
The booster wait times for those who received the Johnson & Johnson (two months)or the Moderna vaccines (six months), have not changed.
Additionally, the CDC also recommended that moderately or severely immunocompromised children 5 to 11 years old receive an additional, third dose of the Pfizer vaccine 28 days after their second shot.
COVID-19 hospitalizations in New Jersey have blown passed the peak number reported during last winter’s surge, state Health Department data showed on Monday, Jan. 3. There were 4,715 people hospitalized on Sunday, Jan. 2. By comparison, the peak daily number of hospitalizations during last winter’s surge was 3,873.
New Jersey’s first lady Tammy Murphy tested positive for COVID-19 on a rapid antigen test, a spokesperson said on Sunday, Jan. 2. Gov. Phil Murphy and the rest of his family tested negative, but will continue to test regularly in the coming days, the spokesperson said.
As COVID cases continue to surge across New Jersey, the cities of Hoboken and Paterson enacted new indoor mask mandates. Meanwhile, Newark geared up for a new vaccine mandate for indoor dining and entertainment venues.
As New Jersey continues to see a startling spike in COVID-19 cases statewide, the Paterson school district announced on Wednesday, Dec. 22, that students will start 2022 remotely. They were initially expected to return to classrooms on Jan. 4, however given the spike in COVID cases, they will learn remotely from Jan. 4 through Jan. 17. School buildings will reopen on Jan. 18.
As demand for COVID-19 tests explodes across the tri-state area, City MD is “temporarily closing” 31 locations to “preserve [the] ability to staff sites.”
Folks in Newark will need to mask up before they enter indoor public spaces under an executive order signed on Monday, Dec. 19, by Mayor Ras Baraka. The indoor mask mandate was issued as the state and city continue to see a concerning spike in COVID-19 cases, spurred by the omicron and delta variants.
With the omicron variant on the rise, President Joe Biden announced 500 million free rapid tests for Americans, increasing support for hospitals under strain from the variant and an emphasis on vaccination and boosting efforts.
Need to get tested for COVID-19? A new federally funded program allows New Jersey residents to request a free at-home COVID-19 test kit.
Moderna said recent data on its booster shot showed that the third dose of the COVID vaccine significantly increased antibody levels against the omicron variant.
According to the company, the currently authorized booster dose increased omicron-neutralizing antibodies approximately 37-fold, compared to pre-boost levels.
Researchers at Oregon Health and Science University say they’ve found evidence to suggest that breakthrough infections create “super immunity” to the virus that causes COVID-19.
“You can’t get a better immune response than this,” senior author Fikadu Tafesse, Ph.D., an assistant professor at the OHSU School of Medicine, said.
Wondering if you have a cold or the highly transmissible omicron variant of the coronavirus?
Well, based on the top five symptoms according to one study, it might be hard to tell.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy marked the one-year anniversary of the first COVID-19 vaccinations in the state on Wednesday, Dec. 15, by promoting booster shots.
The U.S. death toll from COVID-19 topped 800,000 on Dec. 14, a once-unimaginable figure seen as doubly tragic, given that more than 200,000 of those lives were lost after the vaccine became available last spring.
Beginning Monday, Dec. 6, travelers heading to the U.S. will be required to show evidence of a negative COVID test within one day of boarding their flight instead of three days prior, regardless of their nationality or vaccination status. See what you need to know here.
Additionally, the TSA will extend the requirement to wear a mask on planes, trains, subways and other public transportation hubs including airports and bus terminals through the winter.
There’s one thing we keep hearing from the scientists who’ve gotten a close look at the omicron version of the virus: It’s really mutated. More mutations don’t necessarily make a virus more dangerous, but viruses evolve over time to increase their chance of survival, which can be bad for humans.
Gov. Phil Murphy and New Jersey Department of Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli said New Jersey’s first omicron case was confirmed on Friday, Dec. 3, in a fully vaccinated woman who visited New Jersey from Georgia.
The first known case of the omicron variant of COVID-19 was identified in California, the White House and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on Wednesday, Dec. 1. Dr. Anthony Fauci said the person was a traveler who returned from South Africa on Nov. 22 and tested positive on Nov. 29.
The Food and Drug Administration panel voted 13-10 that the antiviral drug’s benefits outweigh its risks, including potential birth defects if used during pregnancy.
Omicron, the latest COVID-19 variant of concern designated by the World Health Organization, gets its name from a letter in the Greek alphabet. But unlike the alpha or delta variants before it, omicron might not roll off the tongue so naturally to English speakers.
Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla said he expects COVID cases to rise until at least the new year, and he’s asking people to remain vigilant over the holiday season as both New Jersey and New York closely monitor for the first cases of the omicron variant.
The United States’ ban on non-citizen travel from South Africa and seven additional African nations began on Monday, Nov. 29, due to omicron, a new COVID-19 variant of concern, White House officials said.
The United States announced on Dec. 24 it would lift the ban.
The announcement of a COVID-19 variant called omicron by scientists in South Africa, where it was first detected, has sent governments and financial markets around the world reeling. Click here to learn more about what experts know about the new “variant of concern.”
South African scientists have identified a new version of the coronavirus that they say is behind a recent spike in COVID-19 infections in Gauteng, the country’s most populous province. It’s unclear where the new variant actually arose, but it was first detected by scientists in South Africa and has also been seen in travelers to Belgium, Botswana, Hong Kong and Israel.
The U.S. on Friday, Nov. 19, opened COVID-19 booster shots to all adults and took the extra step of urging people 50 and older to seek one, aiming to ward off a winter surge as coronavirus cases rise even before millions of Americans travel for the holidays.
Pfizer said it would grant a license for the antiviral pill to the Geneva-based Medicines Patent Pool, which would let generic drug companies produce the pill for use in 95 countries, making up about 53% of the world’s population.
Time is running out if you plan to be fully vaccinated against COVID by the holidays. Click here for the deadlines to be fully vaccinated before each holiday.
More than a year and a half after COVID-19 concerns prompted the U.S. to close its borders to international travelers from countries including Brazil, China, India, South Africa, the United Kingdom and much of Europe, restrictions are shifting to focus on vaccine status.
Bans on travel from specific countries ended on Nov. 8. The U.S. will allow in international travelers, but they must be vaccinated — with a few exceptions.
The U.S. also reopened the land borders with Canada and Mexico for vaccinated people. Most trips from Canada and Mexico to the U.S. are by land rather than air.
U.S. health officials on Nov. 2 gave the final signoff to Pfizer’s kid-size COVID-19 shot, a milestone that opens a major expansion of the nation’s vaccination campaign to children as young as 5.
The Food and Drug Administration already authorized the shots for children ages 5 to 11 — doses just a third of the amount given to teens and adults. But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention formally recommends who should receive FDA-cleared vaccines.
People who have received COVID-19 vaccinations are able to spread the delta variant within their household just as easily as unvaccinated individuals, a new study published on Oct. 29, shows.
As inner-party conflict continues to shave off elements of President Joe Biden’s sweeping domestic policy package, there may be good news for parents. While it’s unclear what the ultimate bill will include, Democrats arrived at a framework Thursday, Oct. 28, that included a one-year extension of the expanded child tax credit.
Moderna said on Oct. 25 that a low dose of its COVID-19 vaccine is safe and appears to work in 6- to 11-year-olds, as the manufacturer moves toward expanding shots to children.
Federal health regulators said late Oct. 22, that kid-size doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine appear highly effective at preventing symptomatic infections in elementary school children and caused no unexpected safety issues, as the U.S. weighs beginning vaccinations in youngsters.
New Jersey is among the top 10 states in the country with the highest COVID-19 vaccination rates at 74%. Helping to lead the charge is Paterson, which has a 90% vaccination rate.
Many state employees returned to in-person work on Oct. 18, the same day Gov. Phil Murphy’s requirement for them to either be vaccinated against COVID-19 or submit to regular virus testing went into effect. The vaccine or test mandate also applies to teachers in New Jersey.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention released updated COVID-19 safety guidance for the holiday season on Friday, Oct. 15, including getting vaccinated, wearing a mask indoors if you’re not vaccinated and avoiding crowded and poorly ventilated spaces.
Dr. William Hu, the Chief of the Division of Cognitive Neurology at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, is leading a team trying to figure out what brain fog is and how it’s connected to COVID-19.
An FDA panel unanimously recommended a Johnson and Johnson booster vaccine on Friday, Oct. 15. The terms of the endorsement essentially call for the J&J COVID-19 vaccine to be a two-dose shot, rather than the one-dose shot for which it’s been known since it first got emergency use authorization last spring.
The panel called for a second shot to be available to people 18 and older, at least two months after the first shot.
A panel of medical experts affiliated with the Food and Drug Administration endorsed a COVID vaccine booster from Moderna on Thursday, Oct. 14. The panel recommended a half dose as a booster.
Vice President Kamala Harris made a stop in New Jersey on Friday, Oct. 8, to discuss the state’s latest vaccination efforts. She visited a day care center to highlight child care provisions in the president’s spending proposal as well as a vaccination site at Essex Community College.
UNICEF released a critical report on Friday, Oct. 8, which found that children and young people could feel the impact of the pandemic on their mental health for many years to come.
The Pfizer vaccine for kids could be on the market in about a month after the drug maker filed for FDA authorization Thursday, Oct. 7, for their shot for kids ages 5 to 11.
However, many parents still have questions about the children’s COVID vaccine. Dr. Sallie Permar, the head of pediatrics at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, joined the PIX11 Morning News on Friday, Oct. 8, to share more information and answer some of the biggest questions.
Parents tired of worrying about classroom outbreaks and sick of telling their elementary school-age children no to sleepovers and family gatherings felt a wave of relief Thursday, Oct. 7, when Pfizer asked the U.S. government to authorize its COVID-19 vaccine for youngsters ages 5 to 11.
Two New Jersey mayors are going head-to-head in an effort to get more people vaccinated against COVID-19. It’s all part of the ongoing vaccination campaign in the Garden State that has already propelled it as one of the nation’s leaders in the fight against COVID-19. Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh is squaring off with Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora in what the state is calling the “Mayors Vaccine Challenge.”
As of Tuesday, Sept. 28, more than 1 million cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in New Jersey since the pandemic reached the state in 2020.
Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE announced they have submitted initial data to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from the Phase 2/3 trial of their COVID-19 vaccine in children 5 to 11.
In the trial, which included 2,268 participants 5 to 11 years of age, the vaccine demonstrated a favorable safety profile and elicited robust neutralizing antibody responses using a two-dose regimen of 10 μg doses.
Unemployed New Jersey residents could earn a $500 bonus to return to the workforce as part of a new program announced by Gov. Phil Murphy on Monday, Sept. 27. The “Return and Earn” initiative will offer the one-time bonus to folks who secure a job through the program, including positions that require on-the-job training.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday, Sept. 23, endorsed booster shots for millions of older or otherwise vulnerable Americans. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky signed off on the recommendations from a panel of advisers, but then overnight added one more the panel had rejected.
The panel had voted against saying that people ages 18 to 64 can get a booster if they are health-care workers or have another job that puts them at increased risk of being exposed to the virus.
The FDA authorized booster doses for Americans who are 65 and older, younger people with underlying health conditions and those in jobs that put them at high-risk for COVID-19. The ruling represents a drastically scaled back version of the Biden administration’s sweeping plan to give third doses to nearly all American adults to shore up their protection amid the spread of the highly contagious delta variant.
Johnson & Johnson on Tuesday, Sept. 21, said new data shows a second dose — or a booster shot — of their one-shot COVID vaccine was found to be 94% effective against symptomatic COVID-19 when given two months after the initial dose.
Pfizer said Monday, Sept. 20, its COVID-19 vaccine works for children ages 5 to 11 and that it will seek U.S. authorization for this age group soon — a key step toward beginning vaccinations for youngsters.
Gov. Phil Murphy said all child care workers and facility employees need to be fully vaccinated by Nov. 1 or face regular weekly testing. As of Sept. 24, all employees, students and children in a facility’s care ages two and up will need to wear masks indoors, with limited exceptions.
A study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention compared how effective each of the three COVID-19 vaccines are in preventing hospitalization from the virus. The CDC reported that effectiveness was higher for the Moderna vaccine (93%) than the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine (88%) and the J&J vaccine (71%).
Mississippi has surpassed New Jersey as the state with the highest rate of COVID-19 deaths in the U.S., with roughly 1 of every 320 Mississippians having succumbed to the coronavirus.
Recent COVID-19 variants are much more adept at airborne transmission than the original version of the coronavirus, according to a new study. University of Maryland researchers analyzed the Alpha variant first identified in the United Kingdom and discovered that carriers breathe out 43 to 100 times more infectious viral aerosols than those infected with the original strain.
The European Union recommended that its 27 nations reinstate restrictions on tourists from the U.S. because of rising coronavirus infections there.
A new study confirms that vaccinations and even prior COVID-19 infection provide significantly less protection against newer variants. Researchers from Oregon Health & Science University say in order to protect against the Alpha, Beta, and now Delta variants, these findings stress the importance of doubling down on both vaccinations and public health measures during the pandemic.
The rancorous debate over whether returning students should wear masks in the classroom has moved from school boards to courtrooms. In at least 14 states, lawsuits have been filed either for or against masks in schools. In some cases, normally rule-enforcing school administrators are finding themselves fighting state leaders in the name of keeping kids safe.
The Supreme Court’s conservative majority is allowing evictions to resume across the United States, blocking the Biden administration from enforcing a temporary ban that was put in place because of the coronavirus pandemic. New Jersey’s statewide rent moratorium expires at the end of the year.
Notice your grocery store shelves looking a little bare lately? You’re definitely not the only one. Supply chain issues have created shortages of highly specific ingredients.
The nation’s top infectious disease expert believes the pandemic’s end is near as long as the U.S. follows the right protocols to contain COVID-19. Dr. Anthony Fauci said he sees the light at the end of the tunnel, but it’s only open if the country’s 80 million to 90 million unvaccinated people are convinced to get the shot.
Comirnaty, who? It’s the same exact mRNA vaccine Pfizer has been producing through the emergency use authorization, but now it’s being marketed under a new name.
Doctors say they’re seeing a new COVID-19 symptom in some patients. According to experts, an earache has been reported more frequently by those testing positive for COVID. Earaches can cause pain, a feeling of blockage and sometimes muffled hearing.
Johnson & Johnson on Wednesday, Aug. 25, announced new data the company said supports the use of its COVID vaccine as a booster shot for people previously vaccinated with their single-shot vaccine.
J&J said the new data showed that a booster shot of their vaccine generated a “rapid and robust increase in spike-binding antibodies, nine-fold higher than 28 days after the primary single-dose vaccination.”
All school personnel and state workers in New Jersey will be required to get vaccinated against COVID-19, Gov. Phil Murphy announced Monday, Aug. 23.
The Biden administration said Wednesday, Aug. 18, that COVID booster shots will soon be available, but how will the Sept. 20 rollout work, and what side effects should Americans expect?
At least two new COVID-19 variants have hit the United States and they could be worse than the delta variant in their infectiousness and ability to stand up to vaccines, according to a top medical authority.
U.S. health officials recommended all Americans get COVID-19 booster shots to shore up their protection amid the surging delta variant and evidence that the vaccines’ effectiveness is falling. The announcement was made on Aug. 18.
The Senate’s top Democrat says federal law enforcement officials need to crack down on fake COVID-19 vaccination cards being sold online.
The COVID-19 death toll has started soaring again as the delta variant tears through the nation’s unvaccinated population and fills up hospitals with patients, many of whom are younger than during earlier phases of the pandemic.
Concerts and outdoor events are returning, and many are requiring proof of vaccination as part of new safety protocols designed to help prevent the transmission of COVID-19. But while experts say being outdoors is less risky in general, they continue to recommend additional precautions for those visiting crowded outdoor venues.
When the pace of vaccinations in the U.S. first began to slow, President Joe Biden backed incentives like million-dollar cash lotteries if that’s what it took to get shots in arms. But as new COVID infections soar, he’s testing a tougher approach.
It has been eight months since the first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were administered to health care workers nationwide. Since then, the vaccine has become available to anyone ages 5 and older. Experts explain the few instances in which a person would not qualify for, or should delay getting vaccinated.
The FDA has approved an extra, third dose of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for transplant recipients and others with severely weakened immune systems.
With more than 600 colleges and universities now requiring proof of COVID-19 inoculations, an online industry has sprung up offering fake vaccine cards.
Don’t worry if you’ve lost your COVID-19 vaccine card, there are several ways you can get it replaced. No matter where you got your shots, getting a replacement card is possible.
Gov. Murphy said on Aug. 9, a new travel advisory is not off the table, but for now he encouraged mask wearing, which is mandatory in all airports and on flights, and other COVID safety protocols. “You gotta use your head,” he added.
Despite CDC data showing New Jersey falls under its guidance to wear masks indoors, Gov. Murphy said he will not yet mandate face coverings but added, “we leave all options on the table.”
Indoor masking is advised in areas with COVID transmission rates considered “substantial” or “high” under recently updated guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As of Aug. 8, all of New Jersey falls under those categories.
So you’ve tested positive for COVID – but which COVID exactly? Is there a way to tell if you have the highly transmissible delta variant? There is a way to tell, but there’s not really a way for you to tell.
COVID-19 breakthrough cases are rising, and now people want to know which vaccine offers the best protection from the coronavirus.
Hospitals around the United States, especially in the South, are starting to fill back up again as the delta variant tears though the country. With previous waves of infection, we’ve been most worried about the elderly being vulnerable. Now, it’s younger people – even children – starting to show up in hospital beds.
New Jersey Republicans have largely trashed Gov. Phil Murphy’s announcement on Aug 6 that masks will be required in all schools in the upcoming academic year.
In a reversal of plans, Gov. Phil Murphy announced on Aug. 6 a mandate for masks in schools for the upcoming academic year.
Gov. Phil Murphy signed an executive order on Aug. 6 mandating that all workers in state and private health care facilities either be vaccinated for COVID-19 or tested for it twice a week.
The United States reached a vaccination milestone on Aug. 6: 50% of the population, all ages, were fully vaccinated, the White House COVID-19 data director confirmed.
Even people who have recovered from COVID-19 are urged to get vaccinated, especially as the extra-contagious delta variant surges — and a new study shows survivors who ignored that advice were more than twice as likely to get reinfected.
Moderna said its COVID vaccine has 93% efficacy six months after the second shot, according to a report released on Aug. 5.
It’s unclear, but researchers are studying the chances of long-term symptoms developing in anyone who might get infected after vaccination.
The latest surge in COVID-19 infections is fueled by the highly contagious delta variant first identified in India late last year. Now, a variation of that variant is beginning to generate headlines. Here’s what we know about the COVID sub-strain being called delta plus.
Currently, some state colleges in New Jersey are mandating the COVID-19 vaccine for students and staff and some have made it optional. Murphy said a universal mandate “is certainly an option,” but for now individual universities can make their own call.
Dr. Anthony Fauci warned on Aug. 1 that more “pain and suffering” is on the horizon as COVID-19 cases climb again and officials plead with unvaccinated Americans to get their shots.
Walmart associates who work in multiple facilities, and associates of its campus office, needed to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by Oct. 4. Walmart also required associates, including those fully vaccinated, to wear masks in its stores.
A popular restaurant in New Jersey closed its doors after 65 years of service.
The Fireplace, like many other restaurants across the country, was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and temporarily shuttered its doors before reopening in May, when they implemented drive-thru, takeout and curbside pickup followed by indoor dining in October.
A report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention emphasized the delta variant is more dangerous and fast-spreading than first thought. The findings also made clear why efforts to get more people vaccinated are vital.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new information on July 30, saying the coronavirus delta variant can spread as easily as chickenpox.
The effectiveness of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine wanes slightly over time but it remains strongly protective for at least six months after the second dose, according to company data released on July 28.
Beginning July 30, Disney World required all visitors ages 2 and older to wear a face covering while indoors as well as in Disney buses, the monorail and the Disney Skyliner, regardless of vaccination status.
Gov. Phil Murphy and New Jersey Department of Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli strongly recommended that both vaccinated and unvaccinated residents wear masks in indoor settings when there is increased risk.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reversed course on some masking guidelines, recommending that even vaccinated people return to wearing masks indoors in parts of the U.S. where the coronavirus is surging.
The United States is in an “unnecessary predicament” of soaring COVID-19 cases fueled by unvaccinated Americans and the virulent delta variant, the nation’s top infectious diseases expert said on July 25.
HIPAA was signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1996 during a time when medical records were being computerized. It was created to simplify the administration of health insurance and to prevent unauthorized access to peoples’ medical histories.
In fact, HIPAA doesn’t block anyone from asking another person about their health status, according to Alan Meisel, law professor and bioethics expert at the University of Pittsburgh.
The parents of an estimated 60 million American children began receiving child tax credit payments from the IRS in mid-July in a move expected to lift millions of families above the poverty baseline for the remainder of 2021. Should they become permanent?
President Joe Biden was forced to confront the worrying reality of rising cases and deaths — and the limitations of his ability to combat the persistent vaccine hesitance responsible for a summer backslide.
Statins, a common medication for lowering cholesterol, may be saving lives among patients with COVID-19. A study revealed hospitalized coronavirus patients who took statins were much less likely to die from the illness.
The head of the World Health Organization acknowledged on July 15, 2021, that it was premature to rule out a potential link between the COVID-19 pandemic and a laboratory leak.
A study released in July 2021 suggested that exposure to wildfire smoke is linked to an increased risk of contracting COVID-19.
The global death toll from COVID-19 eclipsed 4 million on July 7, 2021, as the crisis increasingly became a race between the vaccine and the highly contagious delta variant.
America’s top infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci said in July that about 99.2% of COVID-19 deaths in the United States involved unvaccinated people. “It’s really sad and tragic that most all of these are avoidable and preventable,” he added.
The workforce shortage is a combination of several factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic, a shift in the economy, and changes in the workforce demographics, experts say.
As of Tuesday, there have been 1,925,710 total positive PCR tests in the state since March 2020, and there have been 30,331 lab-confirmed COVID-19 deaths, according to the state Health Department.
COVID-19 timeline: How novel coronavirus spread
