Author: ECCYC

NEW JERSEY — Below you will find the most up-to-date information on coronavirus news impacting New Jersey. You can find additional resources and coverage on our coronavirus page.

NJ, NY CityMD locations temporarily close while demand for testing grows

As demand for COVID-19 tests explodes across the tri-state area, City MD is “temporarily closing” 19 locations to “preserve [the] ability to staff sites.”

Newark issues indoor mask mandate in public spaces to curb COVID uptick

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.

Biden pledges 500M free COVID-19 tests to counter omicron

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.

How to get a free at-home COVID test kit in NJ

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 booster raises antibodies against omicron 37-fold

Moderna said recent data on its booster shot showed that the third dose of the COVID vaccine significantly 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.

Breakthrough COVID infections may create ‘super immunity’

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.

Watch out for these 5 early omicron symptoms, study says

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.

A year after 1st COVID vaccinations in NJ, governor pushes booster shots

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.

US COVID-19 death toll hits 800,000

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.

New US travel restrictions go into effect

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.

Scientists call omicron variant ‘most mutated’ version of virus

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.

First omicron variant case confirmed in NJ, Murphy says

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.

Omicron COVID variant identified in California; 1st known US case

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.

US panel backs first-of-a-kind COVID-19 pill from Merck

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.

How to pronounce the new COVID-19 variant

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.

Rising concerns over omicron variant

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.

Omicron variant prompts new US travel ban on South Africa, other nations

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.

5 things to know about omicron, the new COVID ‘variant of concern’

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.”

What is this new omicron COVID variant in South Africa?

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.

CDC approves expanding COVID-19 vaccine boosters to all adults

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 agrees to let other companies make its COVID-19 pill

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.

Getting a COVID vaccine before the holidays? Here are some key dates to know

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.

US lifts nearly 20-month international travel ban

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.

Beginning Monday, Nov. 8, bans on travel from specific countries ended. 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.

US gives final clearance to COVID vaccine for kids 5 to 11

U.S. health officials on Tuesday, 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.

Vaccinated just as likely to spread delta variant within household as unvaccinated: study

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 Friday, Oct. 29, shows.

Child tax credit 2022: What we know so far

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 says its low-dose COVID shot safe, effective for kids 6 to 11

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.

FDA says Pfizer COVID vaccine looks effective for young kids

Federal health regulators said late Friday, 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.

NJ among top vaccinated states in U.S.

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.

COVID vaccine mandate for state workers, teachers begins

Many state employees returned to in-person work on Monday, 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.

IRS sending October installment of child tax credit after delay in September

Families across the country are starting to receive their October child tax credit. The IRS says the program’s fourth monthly payment is already hitting Americans’ bank accounts after a technical issue last month caused delays for some recipients. 

New COVID safety guidance for the holidays released by the CDC

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.

Rutgers team tries to understand ‘brain fog’ COVID connection

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.

FDA endorsement essentially calls for Johnson & Johnson to be 2-shot vaccine

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.

FDA panel recommends Moderna booster shot, but the process isn’t over

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.  

Need to be vaccinated by Thanksgiving, Hanukkah or Christmas? Here are the deadlines

People who want to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Thanksgiving, Hanukkah or Christmas are running out of time. Two of the three vaccines available in the U.S. require two doses spread weeks apart and a waiting period once the shots have been administered.

Vice President Kamala Harris visits NJ day care, vaccination site

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.

Children will feel impact of pandemic on mental health for years: UNICEF report

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.

COVID vaccine for kids: Doctor answers your questions

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.

Pfizer’s request to OK shots for kids a relief for parents

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.

U.S. hits 700,000 COVID deaths just as cases begin to fall

The United States reached its latest heartbreaking pandemic milestone Friday, Oct. 1, eclipsing 700,000 deaths from COVID-19 just as the surge from the delta variant is starting to slow down and give overwhelmed hospitals some relief.

NJ leaders take on ‘Mayors Vaccine Challenge’

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.”

New Jersey surpasses 1 million COVID-19 cases

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 submits vaccine data on kids to FDA

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. 

NJ offers $500 ‘return to work bonus’ to unemployed residents

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.

Is it safe to trick-or-treat this Halloween? CDC weighs in

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said on Face the Nation that kids can trick-or-treat safely this year, adding, “If you’re able to be outdoors, absolutely.”

CDC director overrules panel, backs booster for all adults in high-risk jobs

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.

FDA OKs Pfizer COVID-19 boosters for 65 and older, high-risk Americans

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.

J&J booster shot 94% effective 2 months after 1st dose

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 says COVID-19 vaccine works in kids ages 5 to 11

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.

Vaccine mandate for child care facilities

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.

Moderna vaccine is most effective against hospitalization from COVID-19: study

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%).

New Jersey surpassed as state with highest rate of COVID deaths

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.

COVID-19 is ‘getting better’ at becoming airborne virus

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.

U.S. panel backs Pfizer COVID-19 boosters only for 65 and over, high-risk

An influential federal advisory panel overwhelmingly rejected a plan to give Pfizer COVID-19 booster shots to most Americans, but it endorsed the extra shots for those who are 65 or older or run a high risk of severe disease.

COVID outbreaks in NJ schools

As of Wednesday, Sept. 15, there were six outbreaks in New Jersey schools, according to Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli. An outbreak is defined as at least three cases that are epidemiologically connected and not from the same household.

The cases are a mix of students and staff, Persichilli said. More information will be released on the state Health Department website in the coming days.

EU removes US from safe travel list

The European Union recommended that its 27 nations reinstate restrictions on tourists from the U.S. because of rising coronavirus infections there.

COVID-19 variants significantly reduce protection of vaccines, prior infection: study

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.

Mask debate moves from school boards to courtrooms

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.

Supreme Court allows evictions to resume during pandemic

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.

These foods are extra hard to find right now because of shortages, supply chain issues

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.

‘It’s up to us’: Fauci says pandemic could possibly end by spring 2022

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: What’s the story behind the new Pfizer vaccine name?

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.

Is an earache a new COVID-19 symptom?

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.

NJ COVID hospitalizations top 1,000 for the first time since May: Gov. Murphy

For the first time since May, more than 1,000 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in New Jersey on Wednesday, Aug. 25, Gov. Phil Murphy said. There were 1,012 people hospitalized with COVID, 92 of whom were on ventilators, according to state Health Department data. The last time the state had more than 1,000 COVID hospitalizations was over three months ago on May 11, Murphy said.

Johnson & Johnson: Vaccine booster provides ‘rapid, robust’ response

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.”

NJ to require teachers, state workers be fully vaccinated

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.

Will COVID booster shot have the same side effects as the first two shots?

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?

Lambda and B.1.621: New COVID variants could be the worst yet, doctor warns

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 call for booster shots for all to battle COVID-19

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.

August child tax credit payments issued: Here’s why yours might be delayed

The second installment of expanded child tax credits was issued on Aug. 13 to millions of eligible families, but some payments will likely be delayed due to a technical glitch, the U.S. Department of Treasury said.

Schumer calls for federal crackdown on fake vaccine cards

The Senate’s top Democrat says federal law enforcement officials need to crack down on fake COVID-19 vaccination cards being sold online.

COVID claims more young victims as deaths climb yet again

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.

NJ county opens COVID booster shot appointments

Health care officials in a northern New Jersey county began offering COVID-19 booster shots to qualified residents on Aug. 14. Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. said appointments for a third shot of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine were open at vaccination centers at Kmart in West Orange and Essex County College in Newark.

Concerts, outdoor events still risky as delta variant surges, experts say

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.

Biden weighs stiffer vaccine rules as delta variant spreads rapidly across U.S.

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.

Who doesn’t need the COVID-19 vaccine?

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 over the age of 12. Experts explain the few instances in which a person would not qualify for, or should delay getting vaccinated.

Extra COVID shot OK’d for immunocompromised individuals

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.

Fake COVID vaccine cards worry college officials

With more than 600 colleges and universities now requiring proof of COVID-19 inoculations, an online industry has sprung up offering fake vaccine cards.

What to do if you lose your COVID-19 vaccine card

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.

Will NJ reinstate a travel advisory?

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.

Will NJ mandate masks indoors?

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.”

COVID transmission levels call for indoor masking under CDC guidelines

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.

How do you know if you have the delta variant of COVID-19?

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 breakthrough cases: Is one vaccine better than others?

COVID-19 breakthrough cases are rising, and now people want to know which vaccine offers the best protection from the coronavirus.

Are kids more vulnerable to the delta variant of COVID-19?

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.

U.S. averaging 100,000 new COVID-19 infections a day as delta surges

The United States is now averaging 100,000 new COVID-19 infections a day, returning to a milestone last seen during the winter surge in yet another bleak reminder of how quickly the delta variant has spread through the country. The U.S. was averaging about 11,000 cases a day in late June. Now the number is 107,143.

NJ schools mask mandate: Teachers’ union backs, Republicans slam Murphy decision

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.

Gov. Murphy mandates masks in schools

In a reversal of plans, Gov. Phil Murphy announced on Aug. 6 a mandate for masks in schools for the upcoming academic year.

NJ health care workers must be vaccinated or tested for COVID-19

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.

50% of U.S. population is fully vaccinated, White House says

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.

CDC says people who’ve had COVID should get shot or risk reinfection

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.

‘You have lost your minds’: Murphy lashes out at anti-vax protesters

Gov. Phil Murphy ran out of patience for protesters against the COVID-19 vaccine at a bill signing in Union City on Aug. 4.

Warning of more delta mutations, Fauci urges vaccinations

The White House COVID-19 response team said the delta variant continues to surge across the country. During a briefing on Aug. 5, Dr. Anthony Fauci called on Americans to take precautions to stop the virus from mutating. “The ultimate end game of all this is vaccination,” he said.

Moderna says vaccine 93% effective after 6 months

Moderna said its COVID vaccine has 93% efficacy six months after the second shot, according to a report released on Aug. 5.

Can I get ‘long COVID’ if I’m infected after getting vaccinated?

It’s unclear, but researchers are studying the chances of long-term symptoms developing in anyone who might get infected after vaccination.

What is the delta plus variant of COVID?

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.

Vaccine mandate for state colleges?

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.

More ‘pain and suffering’ ahead as COVID cases rise, Fauci says

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 requiring COVID vaccination, masks for many employees

In a memo, Walmart announced that associates who work in multiple facilities, and associates of its campus office, will need to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by Oct. 4. Walmart also required associates, including those fully vaccinated, to wear masks in its stores.

Iconic NJ restaurant The Fireplace closes after 65 years

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.

New delta variant research makes strong case for vaccination

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.

CDC data shows delta variant spreads as easily as chickenpox

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new information on July 30, saying the coronavirus delta variant can spread as easily as chickenpox.

Pfizer: COVID vaccine protective for at least 6 months

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.

Disney World requires masks indoors regardless of vaccination status

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.

NJ mask guidance

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.

CDC mask guidance: Vaccinated people should wear face coverings in public indoor settings

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.

U.S. headed in ‘wrong direction’ on COVID-19, Fauci says

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.

Doctors warn about slightly different symptoms with delta variant of COVID

As concern grows regarding the COVID-19 delta variant, health leaders are warning about somewhat different symptoms that come with it.

Most unvaccinated Americans unlikely to get COVID-19 shots, new AP poll finds

A new poll shows that most Americans who haven’t been vaccinated against COVID-19 say they are unlikely to get the shots. About 16% say they probably will get the vaccine.

Is asking about someone’s COVID vaccine status a HIPAA violation?

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.

Gov. Murphy holds off on reinstating mask mandate

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy says he’s not ready to reinstitute mask requirements, now or when schools are back in session in September. Murphy says he “is comfortable where we are” on mask mandates but is also closely monitoring developments.

Child tax credit checks: Will they become permanent?

The parents of an estimated 60 million American children began receiving child tax credit payments from the IRS in a move expected to lift millions of families above the poverty baseline for the remainder of 2021. Should they become permanent?

Biden grapples with ‘pandemic of the unvaccinated’

President Joe Biden is confronting the worrying reality of rising cases and deaths — and the limitations of his ability to combat the persistent vaccine hesitance responsible for the summer backslide.

Child tax credit: When to expect payments, how it may impact tax returns

Payments for the highly anticipated expanded child tax credits were being sent to families in the tri-state area, and the rest of the nation, for the first time in mid-July. While the additional money may be very helpful for some families across the economic spectrum, the overall tax credit situation is complicated.

Common cholesterol drugs may significantly reduce risk of death from COVID-19: study

Statins, a common medication for lowering cholesterol, may be saving lives among patients with COVID-19. A new study reveals hospitalized coronavirus patients who take statins are much less likely to die from the illness.

WHO chief says it was ‘premature’ to rule out COVID lab leak

The head of the World Health Organization acknowledged it was premature to rule out a potential link between the COVID-19 pandemic and a laboratory leak, and he said he is asking China to be more transparent as scientists search for the origins of the coronavirus.

Wildfire smoke linked to increased COVID-19 risk, study says

A new study suggests that exposure to wildfire smoke is linked to an increased risk of contracting COVID-19.

What can I do if I didn’t get my child tax credit payment?

The official disbursement date for the first child tax credit payments from the Internal Revenue Service was July 15, but parents may not see the cash right away.

Delta now dominant COVID variant in New Jersey

The highly transmissible delta variant is now the dominant strain in New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy said on July 12. The governor urged New Jersey residents to get vaccinated against COVID if they haven’t already done so.

Global COVID-19 deaths hit 4 million amid rush to vaccinate

The global death toll from COVID-19 eclipsed 4 million in July as the crisis increasingly becomes a race between the vaccine and the highly contagious delta variant.

99 percent of U.S. COVID deaths are unvaccinated people: Fauci

America’s top infectious disease expert says about 99.2% of recent COVID-19 deaths in the United States involved unvaccinated people. And Dr. Anthony Fauci says “it’s really sad and tragic that most all of these are avoidable and preventable.”

There’s more to the worker shortage than pandemic unemployment, experts say

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.

Free health insurance included in stimulus benefits for unemployment recipients

Along with $1,400 stimulus checks and monthly child tax credit payments, the American Rescue Plan has another important benefit available to people who qualified for unemployment assistance this year: free health care.

Will one dose of a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine protect me?

Yes, but not nearly as much as if you had both doses. Experts recommend getting fully vaccinated, especially with the emergence of worrisome coronavirus mutations such as the delta variant first identified in India.

Workers enjoy the upper hand as companies scramble to hire

With the economy growing rapidly as it reopens from the pandemic, many employers are increasingly desperate to hire. Yet evidence suggests that as a group, the unemployed aren’t feeling the same urgency to take jobs.

Vaccine freebies

New York, New Jersey and several companies nationwide are offering incentives for those who get vaccinated, including free food and drinks.

Latest official indicators

As of Tuesday, there have been 1,177,197 total positive PCR tests in the state since March 2020, and there have been 25,920 lab-confirmed coronavirus deaths, according to the state Health Department.

COVID-19 timeline: How novel coronavirus spread

Tips to protect yourself and others amid coronavirus outbreaks

New Jersey may become only the second U.S. state to require its public schools to teach about Asian American history and culture, after the state Assembly voted overwhelmingly for the move this week. 

The Assembly on Monday passed the proposed curriculum requirement (A-6100) by a 74-2 vote. The legislation passed the state Senate by a 34-2 margin earlier this month and now goes to the desk of Gov. Phil Murphy. 

If the Democrat signs the bill into law, New Jersey would join California in mandating instruction about Asian American history for all K-12 students. The measure allows local boards of education to pick instructional materials but a proposed Commission on Asian Heritage in the state Education Department may also assist in the process. 

Alayna Alfaro, Murphy’s press secretary, said the governor’s office doesn’t comment on pending legislation.

Advocates said expanding education is important in the wake of a surge of hate crimes against the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, which has been scapegoated for the coronavirus pandemic that started in Wuhan, China. 

“The time is now because of anti-Asian hate and because our children are suffering,” said Kani Ilangovan, an Indian American who is the founder of Make Us Visible New Jersey, a group that has been advocating for passage of the bill. “Education is the antidote to hate.”

Sixty-three organizations helped Make Us Visible New Jersey in advocating for the bill’s passage, Ilangovan said. Activists from all corners of the state and all ages and demographics pitched in. They contacted lawmakers and spread the word about the bill’s importance to Asian Americans through multilingual channels.

Ridgewood High School senior Christina Huang, 18,. who is Chinese American, joined the cause. She said she was bullied when her family lived in West Milford and she was among the few Asians in the community. Other kids made fun of her looks, including her eye shape, she said.

“I don’t want other kids to go through the same thing I did,” Huang said.

Political arena:Asian Americans surge into state politics, pushing back against hate | Mary Chao

Mentorship:Breaking the bamboo ceiling: NJ program aims to help Asian kids rise

Jessica Kim, a Korean American licensed clinical social worker in Cherry Hill, said she sees the impact of hate and racism in her work with children. AAPI mental health is fraught with evidence of the negative impact of perceived discrimination, she said 

Kim grew up in Freehold facing racism, which is still difficult for her to talk about, she said. She would be told that she’s not American and was asked where she was really from.

Now, Kim, 45, a mother of three children, said she still sees the racism that she faced decades ago.

“In hindsight, there are many AAPI youth I have counseled over the years and regret the missed opportunities to help them more deeply understand their racial identity and experiences with racism,” she said. “I did not have that as part of my training 20 years ago and I am committed to developing interventions for more culturally responsive trauma-informed care.”

The current American mental health system is ill-equipped to help clients of color process racialized trauma, Kim said.

New Jersey’s AAPI community accounts for 11% of the state’s population, according to Census figures. 

Ilangovan said Asian Americans in New Jersey are ready to help with suggestions for the curriculum, beginning with recognizing May as AAPI history month in schools.

“AAPI is the fastest growing ethnic group in New Jersey,” said Assemblywoman-elect Ellen Park, a Democrat who represents the 37th District covering portions of eastern Bergen County. “We live in every town and work in every sector of our economy. This is something we should be proud of in New Jersey and this is something we should celebrate in our classrooms.”

Park is the first Korean American woman elected to the state Legislature and will be the only lawmaker of East Asian descent in Trenton when she starts her term in January.

“I wish the curriculum reflected my community when I was in school, but I am glad to see that if this bill is signed into law, my children will get to see themselves within the fabric of America, not outside of it,” said Park, a mother of two sons.   

Democrats Raj Mukherji (D-Hudson), Mila Jasey (D-Essex, Morris), Britnee Timberlake (D-Essex, Passaic) and Sterley Stanley (D-Middlesex) sponsored the bill in the Assembly. 

“One of New Jersey’s best qualities is its diversity, which we should be highlighting in our schools,” they said in a joint statement. “By expanding the K-12 curriculum to include lessons on the history and contributions of the AAPI community, we can help break down persisting negative stereotypes and show the over 140,000 Asian American and Pacific Islander students in our state that their stories and experiences matter.”

Mary Chao 趙 慶 華 covers the Asian community and real estate for NorthJersey.com. To get unlimited access to the latest news out of North Jersey, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: mchao@northjersey.com

The Newark man charged with stabbing a woman in Belleville last month was identified by his child in a statement to police, records show.

Termaine Pines, 48, of Newark, was arrested Sunday at a Trenton homeless shelter. He was charged with attempted murder, burglary, aggravated assault and weapons offenses, related to a home invasion and bloody attack on Nov. 20 in a Van Rensselaer Street home. 

The victim, a 54-year-old woman who lived in the building with her mother, arrived at the house and allegedly found Pines inside. He attacked her, leaving her bloodied and calling for help as he fled, prosecutors have said. The mother was found dead inside the house. A medical examiner has not yet determined the manner and cause of the older woman’s death.

In a statement given to detectives one week after the incident, the child identified Pines in a surveillance video still, according to the affidavit of probable cause. The child also confirmed that Pines was their father. 

Essex County:Cedar Grove survey asked students to reveal gender identity. NJ says it violated laws

North Jersey:NJ senator did not have alcohol in system after DWI, but unidentified ‘other drugs’ found

On the day of the stabbing, when officers responded to the victim’s apartment, they found her a block away on Howard Place, bloodied from the attack and she warned them her mother may still be inside the apartment.

Police entered to find her 84-year-old mother unresponsive inside a bedroom. She was declared dead at the scene.

Surveillance video captured a dark sedan, which was later identified as Pines’, parked nearby on Cleveland Street, police said in the affidavit. Video also showed Pines walking toward the Van Rensselaer home an hour before the incident, though footage captured by camera across the street did not show Pines walking past the address, according to the affidavit.

Pines remains in custody pending his first appearance in court. Currently he is only facing charges for the attack on the daughter as prosecutor’s await the cause of death of the 84-year-old mother.

Liam Quinn is a breaking news reporter for NorthJersey.com. To get breaking news directly to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter.

Email: quinnl@northjersey.com

Twitter: @Liam_D_Quinn

The Newark man charged with stabbing a woman in Belleville last month was identified by his child in a statement to police, records show.

Termaine Pines, 48, of Newark, was arrested Sunday at a Trenton homeless shelter. He was charged with attempted murder, burglary, aggravated assault and weapons offenses, related to a home invasion and bloody attack on Nov. 20 in a Van Rensselaer Street home. 

The victim, a 54-year-old woman who lived in the building with her mother, arrived at the house and allegedly found Pines inside. He attacked her, leaving her bloodied and calling for help as he fled, prosecutors have said. The mother was found dead inside the house. A medical examiner has not yet determined the manner and cause of the older woman’s death.

In a statement given to detectives one week after the incident, the child identified Pines in a surveillance video still, according to the affidavit of probable cause. The child also confirmed that Pines was their father. 

Essex County:Cedar Grove survey asked students to reveal gender identity. NJ says it violated laws

North Jersey:NJ senator did not have alcohol in system after DWI, but unidentified ‘other drugs’ found

On the day of the stabbing, when officers responded to the victim’s apartment, they found her a block away on Howard Place, bloodied from the attack and she warned them her mother may still be inside the apartment.

Police entered to find her 84-year-old mother unresponsive inside a bedroom. She was declared dead at the scene.

Surveillance video captured a dark sedan, which was later identified as Pines’, parked nearby on Cleveland Street, police said in the affidavit. Video also showed Pines walking toward the Van Rensselaer home an hour before the incident, though footage captured by camera across the street did not show Pines walking past the address, according to the affidavit.

Pines remains in custody pending his first appearance in court. Currently he is only facing charges for the attack on the daughter as prosecutor’s await the cause of death of the 84-year-old mother.

Liam Quinn is a breaking news reporter for NorthJersey.com. To get breaking news directly to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter.

Email: quinnl@northjersey.com

Twitter: @Liam_D_Quinn

The Newark man charged with stabbing a woman in Belleville last month was identified by his child in a statement to police, records show.

Termaine Pines, 48, of Newark, was arrested Sunday at a Trenton homeless shelter. He was charged with attempted murder, burglary, aggravated assault and weapons offenses, related to a home invasion and bloody attack on Nov. 20 in a Van Rensselaer Street home.

The victim, a 54-year-old woman who lived in the building with her mother, arrived at the house and allegedly found Pines inside. He attacked her, leaving her bloodied and calling for help as he fled, prosecutors have said. The mother was found dead inside the house. A medical examiner has not yet determined the manner and cause of the older woman’s death.

In a statement given to detectives one week after the incident, the child identified Pines in a surveillance video still, according to the affidavit of probable cause. The child also confirmed that Pines was their father.

Essex County: Cedar Grove survey asked students to reveal gender identity. NJ says it violated laws

North Jersey: NJ senator did not have alcohol in system after DWI, but unidentified ‘other drugs’ found

On the day of the stabbing, when officers responded to the victim’s apartment, they found her a block away on Howard Place, bloodied from the attack and she warned them her mother may still be inside the apartment.

Police entered to find her 84-year-old mother unresponsive inside a bedroom. She was declared dead at the scene.

Surveillance video captured a dark sedan, which was later identified as Pines’, parked nearby on Cleveland Street, police said in the affidavit. Video also showed Pines walking toward the Van Rensselaer home an hour before the incident, though footage captured by camera across the street did not show Pines walking past the address, according to the affidavit.

Pines remains in custody pending his first appearance in court. Currently he is only facing charges for the attack on the daughter as prosecutor’s await the cause of death of the 84-year-old mother.

Story continues

Liam Quinn is a breaking news reporter for NorthJersey.com. To get breaking news directly to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter.

Email: quinnl@northjersey.com

Twitter: @Liam_D_Quinn

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Belleville NJ stabbing suspect was identified by own child, police say

December 22, 2021

The University saw a greater reawakening of campus life – and a change in leadership

Posted in: University

In 2021, as the world continued to grapple with the ongoing pandemic, Montclair State University forged forward, taking every possible step to provide a safe, quality, accessible education to its more than 21,000 students. Meanwhile, the University underwent its greatest sea change in a generation as it welcomed new President Jonathan Koppell and bid adieu to President Susan A. Cole, who retired after 23 years. Throughout the year, students, staff and alumni continued to dazzle, and a groundbreaking Vice President of the United States visited campus. Here are just some of the highlights from this past year.

Hope in a New Year

Montclair was one of the few higher education institutions in New Jersey to return to in-person education in fall 2020 – with a hybrid option and low-density, socially distanced residential housing. The safe and thoughtful return to campus continued in January 2021, as Montclair welcomed more students back into residence halls, while providing the physical and mental health supports they needed. And in fall 2021, the University welcomed its largest freshman class in history for a fully in-person fall semester, reflected in a campus bursting with life again.

COVID Battle Continues

As the COVID-19 vaccine rollout shifted into high gear in the spring of 2021, the School of Nursing answered the call, with nursing students and staff working at Essex County’s large-scale immunization centers and helping register and educate members of the community. Meanwhile, the campus community showed its dedication to the public good with high vaccination rates, responding favorably to vaccine mandates.

Cole Hall Dedicated

In June, College Hall was rededicated as Susan A. Cole Hall to honor Susan A. Cole upon her retirement after 23 years as president. “It is fitting that we rededicate College Hall to formally honor President Cole, who, as the University’s eighth president, and first female president, has led the University through its remarkable period of growth and transformation,” said Francis M. Cuss, chair of the Board of Trustees. The iconic 113-year-old Mission Revival building once housed the entire school and had recently reopened after being completely renovated and expanded.

A New Leader, A New Era

University Trustees announced in June that Jonathan Koppell, a nationally regarded scholar of policy, organization and management who transformed the public affairs college at Arizona State University into one of the largest, best and most innovative in the nation, would become Montclair State University’s ninth president. Since starting on the job August 2, Koppell has engaged with the Red Hawk community as he sets out to build on the University’s legacy as a place that not only makes a difference in the lives of students but also in the world.

One Family and Six Degrees

For the second year of the pandemic, Montclair held multiple outdoor socially distanced commencement ceremonies at Sprague Field in June. Among the 5,044 degrees conferred in 2020-21, including those during the 16 ceremonies, were those of Associate Director of Postal Services Lavone Broxton and his daughter Tiiera, both of whom earned degrees in Sociology. They joined Lavone’s spouse and Tiiera’s mother, Rhonda Robinson-Broxton, who holds two master’s degrees from Montclair, as alumni in the family. Broxton’s two older daughters, Siiera and Kiiera, hold master’s degrees from other institutions and Kiiera is a doctoral candidate at Columbia University. “I didn’t want to be the only person in a family who didn’t go to school,” Lavone says.

Heroes Among Us

Brian Warner, a technology support desktop specialist at the Feliciano School of Business, and his fellow firefighters from the Hawthorne Volunteer Fire Department rescued 15 people and two dogs from swiftly moving waters caused by Tropical Storm Ida. Toms River Police Officer Rebecca Sayegh ’15 rescued a homeowner, her two dogs and a cat from a house fire in January. Valerie Tauriello ’04, a health and physical education teacher at Soehl Middle School in Linden, New Jersey, stopped a runaway SUV as it was headed for a group of schoolchildren. And a random act of kindness 15 years ago by Leigh Ann Murduca ’09, ’11 MA changed everything for Amy Elizabeth Policelli ’09, who because of it was able to learn American Sign Language and connect with her non-verbal child years later.

Major Grants

Among nearly $17 million in grant awards received by University researchers and programs this year, is a $2.6 million, two-year grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Institutional Resilience and Expanded Postsecondary Opportunity program to address the needs of the most vulnerable students, as well as build institutional resilience, in the ongoing global pandemic. Associate Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders Elaine Hitchcock has been awarded a $435,000 National Institutes of Health R15 grant toward her research in telepractice delivery of speech therapy. And researchers Weitian Wang, Michelle Zhu and Amy Tuininga, received a three-year, $289,737 grant from the National Science Foundation to build a robot system to connect 12 departments across the University.

Public Service

As is tradition for the University on the 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance, hundreds of students, faculty and alumni volunteered with local communities throughout the region. President Jonanthan Koppell says this strong base of public service is becoming a signature hallmark of the Montclair education. “This generation is more focused on making the world a better place. We need to do everything in our power to support students and prepare them to engage in public service.”

COVID-19 Remembrance Day – Illuminating Hope

Students, staff and faculty came together on September 30 to support each other and acknowledge the toll COVID-19 has taken on the community and the world. Because the pandemic has touched the lives of all – whether they have lost loved ones, been ill themselves, or suffered from the stress and isolation of living through this time – the campus community created a luminaria display of words of remembrance, healing and hope to support one another.The ceremony was held at the Amphitheater and included singing and spoken words of encouragement, as lights flickered in bags that created a wall of remembrance.

Fulbright Hispanic-Serving Leader

In October, the Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs recognized the University as an inaugural Fulbright Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) Leader, one of only 35 institutions to earn the designation. The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program and is designed to increase understanding between Americans and people in other countries. Montclair, designated an HSI in 2016, was chosen as a Fulbright HSI Leader for its noteworthy engagement with the program and for helping students and faculty benefit from a variety of on-campus Fulbright initiatives.

World College Radio Day Marathon – and Musical

In October, award-winning WMSC 90.3 FM collaborated with more than 600 stations in 40 countries for the 11th annual World College Radio Day, powered by Live365. The station hosted 34 hours of special programming featuring on-air talent, exclusive celebrity interviews and music performances, and closed out a 24-hour Global WCRD marathon with the station’s first college radio musical “The Nightmare Before World College Radio Day.”

Big Names on Campus

Vice President of the United States Kamala Harris – along with Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) and Governor Phil Murphy – visited the Ben Samuels Children’s Center on the Montclair State University campus on October 8 to highlight the importance of federal funding for childcare. “A lot of the work that we are doing right now … is the work of recognizing the significance of supporting our parents, supporting our children, and understanding that it is about an investment in our collective future,” Harris said during the discussion.

Jazz legend Wynton Marsalis provided the pinnacle experience for the new Cali Immersive Residency Program, a reimagined professional residency program of 10 rotating ensembles and solo artists. From Nov. 9-11, Marsalis participated in master classes and a Q&A with Cali School Director Anthony Mazzocchi.

The School of Communication and Media welcomed Michael Price ’81, award-winning executive producer for The Simpsons and co-creator and showrunner of Netflix’s F is For Family, for its final SCM 2.0 speaker event of the semester. Price discussed the exciting growth and evolution of American streaming media, shared stories from his life since departing Montclair for Hollywood, and offered advice for students aspiring to work in entertainment.

Lights, Camera, Action!

The College Tour, a Prime Video series hosted by Amazing Race winner Alex Boylan, was on campus this fall, shooting 20 segments written and told by students and alumni. The University will be featured in Season 4 on Amazon’s streaming service, IMDb TV, on The College Tour’s app (Android, iOS) and website. It will also run on Roku, Apple TV, LG Smart TV, Samsung Smart TV, Sony, Philips Smart TV, Amazon FireTV and Android TV. The College Tour gives prospective students around the world the chance to travel virtually for an inside look at colleges and universities in the United States.

Monday Night Football Symphony

In a unique mashup, the Montclair State University Symphony Orchestra performed in a teaser for Monday Night Football on ESPN prior to the Pittsburgh Steelers-Chicago Bears game on November 8. Students delighted in their close-ups. “It’s so crazy because I’m a huge football fan and I rarely watch before the kickoff,” said Nathaniel Williams, a senior Music Education major from Newark, New Jersey. “I was beyond excited. When I saw the orchestra and the shots of myself on the violin I showed it to the person I was sitting next to.”

Celebrating Together

In October, in-person Homecoming returned after a one-year hiatus, with the greater Red Hawk community enjoying a return to campus for a traditional event – and a much needed return to a sense of normalcy.

Cultural pride was on display this fall as the University celebrated its first Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month block party, marking its five-year milestone as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and its first-ever all-Latinx executive board of the Student Government Association.

Video Highlights from 2021

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Story by Mary Barr Mann
Photos by University Photographer Mike Peters
Video by University Videographer Christo Apostolou

The Montclair Township Council on Tuesday passed a resolution requiring that masks be worn indoors in public places, effective immediately. 

The mandate, which passed by a 7-0 vote, is in effect for the next 30 days. Masks must be worn regardless of vaccination status. 

The measure was introduced by Councilor-at-Large Peter Yacobellis as COVID cases in the state continued to rise sharply, from 2,471 on Dec. 1 to 6,505 on Monday. 

He said that 64 Montclair residents had tested positive for COVID by 4 p.m. on Tuesday, and that there have been 248 positive cases in town in the last seven days.  

Today, after 27 new COVID cases were reported at the high school on Monday and Tuesday, Superintendent Jonathan Ponds moved Montclair High School to all-virtual instruction for the two remaining days before the holiday break.

Testing:Free in-home COVID tests are available for NJ residents by mail

“I do not believe we have a choice except to take this modest and temporary action to protect the community’s most vulnerable residents, as well as signal that Montclair is a safe place to come shop, dine or see a show,” Yacobellis said. “The CDC has classified Essex County as an area with high community transmission and recommends mask-wearing indoors in public places if you are in an area designated as having substantial or high transmission.”

He said he is hopeful that the measure will be short-lived, with treatment pills from Merck and Pfizer coming shortly, along with more robust testing. 

Mayor Sean Spiller said the township will provide a printable notice on the town website so shop-owners can post in their windows that the mask mandate is “by order of Montclair township.”

Virus:NJ COVID cases closing in on record highs, but is omicron driving the surge?

The law specifies that the mask may be removed to eat or drink inside establishments that serve food or beverages, and children under age 2 are exempt.

The authority for the council’s mask mandate comes from New Jersey’s Executive Order Number 242 Section 18, which permits municipalities and counties to “impose additional restrictions, in response to COVID-19, regarding mask requirements for individuals in indoor public spaces.”

Julia Martin is the 2021 recipient of the New Jersey Society for Professional Journalists’ David Carr award for her coverage of Montclair for NorthJersey.com.

For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: jmartin@gannettnj.com

Twitter: @TheWriteJulia 

NEWARK —  A Newark Public Schools attendance counselor has been arrested and charged with sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child.

Essex County prosecutors say that in October, 31-year-old James D. Rone-Lewis brought a student into his office at Avon Avenue Elementary School and touched the child’s genitals.

Rone-Lewis has been released on pretrial monitoring as he awaits trial.

He has also been suspended without pay by the school and is barred from having any contact with the victim or the school.

The huelga de hambre has been used for thousands of years. It has won many struggles,” said Ana Ramirez, 42, who fasted for 24 days this spring to demand that undocumented people and other excluded workers in New York receive stimulus and unemployment money. “Esther the reina won a battle with the hunger strike.”

Ramirez is referring to Queen Esther of the Old Testament’s Book of Esther. The queen and her supporters fasted for three days in advance of going to ask her husband, Persian King Ahasuerus, for permission to have her enemies — who were trying to wipe out all Jews in the empire — killed. She prevailed. Mahatma Gandhi used the hunger strike. So too Cesar Chavez. South African political prisoners hastened the end of the apartheid era with their hunger strike. “The battle of empty stomachs” has been ubiquitous with Palestinian protest for decades. In Gaza, thousands of prisoners have been known to stage fasts at once.

The hunger strike is a political tool that protesters resort to when they have no other recourse. Sometimes this means they have tried all other means and failed. But more often, it means that those starving themselves are prisoners.

Since March of 2020, the political use of fasting in the New York City area has escalated in the face of the intense hardship some communities have experienced during the pandemic.

“Do you wanna die fighting or live life on your knees? I made the decision. Get released alive or dead.”

A healthy body can go without food for up to eight weeks but it will likely incur some serious and/or long-term damage along the way. In October, five young activists (ages 18 to 25) with the Sunrise Movement, which advocates for sweeping climate action, went on hunger strike at the height of congressional negotiations over dueling infrastructure plans. But Sunrise Movement activists stopped their strike after 14 days because doctors monitoring the action said that if a person is 25 or under, irreversible brain damage can occur after two weeks of starvation.

Julia Paramo, 24, was one of the five hunger strikers who responded to a nationwide call to go on hunger strike at the White House in October to push for the “fullest possible federal legislative effort to combat the climate emergency” in the infrastructure bill. Although they stopped the strike before a deal was reached, she says the strike brought climate change provisions back into the negotiations that had previously been sidelined.

“I remember my friend Paul’s heart rate kept going really low. It was constantly going low. I touched his hands and they were just so cold. That’s when he went to the ER, that was towards the end,” she says. Another friend and fellow striker, Kidus, was also hospitalized. “Kidus went to the ER on day four. Everyone would tell us we looked like we were dying,” she said.

Since her fast, one of Paramo’s friends mentioned wanting to do the same. “I was just like, ‘You can’t do that.’ I care about her,” said Paramo. “It’s a tactic that you have to be very strategic with. You have to consider the consequences. I would talk to people who are considering it. I see its value in bringing moral clarity to human rights, but I want to live and want others to live.”

While the young climate activists were not willing to risk their lives or long-term health, some hunger strikers have been desperate enough to do so.

“Do you wanna die fighting or live life on your knees? I made the decision. Get released alive or dead,” said Marcial Morales, a father of three school-age children, who has led hunger strikes protesting Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s detention of immigrants in unsafe, cruel conditions from behind bars and on the outside.

Morales went on his first hunger strike in March of 2020 with 200 others at Essex County Jail in New Jersey, a facility which had a financial agreement with ICE to house immigrant detainees in addition to people incarcerated by the county. The jail staff, infamous for abuse, successfully broke that strike within the first few days.

“The whole group of guards came in and beat everybody up and then said it was a fight between the [other inmates] and the detainees,” Morales recalls. “One guy was on the ground unconscious for three hours after. When he stopped breathing, they came to see him and called a nurse and they took him away and we never saw him again.” In another brutal incident, he says “they came to our unit and accused the tier rep of provoking disorder and they kept him 60 days in the hole [solitary] … He almost died. He had it pretty bad.”

All of the handful of hunger striking detainees The Indypendent has interviewed, were put into solitary confinement or suicide watch — where one is stripped naked — as retribution within the first few days of a strike.

After the initial failure, Morales took it upon himself to learn more about hunger strikes and the rights that a detained immigrant has while fasting. “If you stand up for yourself, [jail staff] back[s] off. Because they know that you didn’t know they were violating your rights. So once I knew my rights — I read the whole jail book — I was like ‘hell, yeah!’”

Morales was released from ICE detention on hunger strike in November 2020 after nine days of rapid health deterioration exacerbated by his diabetes. He has since inspired and mentored many hunger strikes among people in ICE detention.

Depriving oneself of food has mental effects, especially in the already stressful jail environment. Towards the end of his strike, “something was in the wall and I saw it and drew it. Jesus was there in the wall with bread in his hands,” said Morales.

Julia Paramo, too, found strength within. “During the hunger strike, I wrote messages on my forehead. Something [else] that got me through was thinking about home in Dallas and Guanajuato, Mexico.”

Ana Ramirez said that the strength to go on strike was born from her identity as an immigrant. “This comes from a lot of discrimination, from seeing the work of the undocumented person undervalued. We’ve worked harder, cleaned dirtier things. We are made of corn. We are made of hope. I came crossing the frontera at Piedras Negras,” she told The Indy.

Ramirez, who was determined to win or to die, spent two months preparing her body to fast. She was not prepared, though, for the identity-changing, spiritual experience she would have during the 24 days of hunger strike. “By the time I finished, the Ana Ramirez who started the huelga left. She came back with a different way of thinking, of being. I discovered things, attributes I didn’t know I have. It completely changed my life, la huelga de hambre de 24 días,” she said. “I remembered a lot of memories from my childhood. I really wanted to cry and run away from this place. Lots of emotional pain.”

In October, a group of taxi drivers — mostly men over the age of 55 — with the New York Taxi Workers Alliance (NYTWA) went on hunger strike to demand relief from crushing debts that began to incur when the city inflated the value of taxi medallions a decade ago and then caused the value of those medallions to plummet by allowing ride share companies such as Uber and Lyft to flood the streets with their cars. After camping out unsuccessfully for 46 days on the sidewalk outside City Hall with no results, the drivers stopped eating.

Saddled with an average debt of $550,000 after a lifetime of work, many of the drivers told The Indy they saw the hunger strike as a fight for their lives. Since 2017, nine indebted drivers have died by suicide. One of those nine, Kenny Chow, is survived by his brother, Richard Chow, a 63-year-old cabbie who has been driving for 16 years. “I love my brother Kenny. My heart is broken,” said Chow.

“She came back with a different way of thinking, of being. I discovered things, attributes I didn’t know I have. It completely changed my life.”

“That’s why we started [the strike]. We lost everything. After I lost my brother — and there are 6,000 medallions like me and all my friends facing the same crisis — I don’t want to lose my friends,” Chow said.

Chow, despite having diabetes, low blood pressure and a heart condition, joined the fast and refused food for all 15 days of the strike.

The union rented a hotel room for him near their 24/7 protest encampment at City Hall because he lives in Staten Island and was ordered not to drive while fasting. Balkar Singh, a 62-year-old with high blood pressure, spent a few nights in the room with Chow as they both struggled through low points with their health.

“Mr. Balkar has high blood pressure. We are the opposite. We took care of each other,” said Chow, who had to drink chicken broth to keep his blood pressure up while Singh drank Insure to keep his down. Both men were overjoyed when, on the 15th day of fasting, New York City came up with a debt relief plan.

Those hunger strikers who are willing to risk their lives and are confronting an image-conscious adversary are often able to prevail.

“‘If we had not resisted through mass hunger strikes, we would have remained like the slaves from the Middle Ages,’ my father, Ismail, told me during a Skype call after I forced him to revisit his memories from the 33-day legendary Nafha prison hunger strike that he joined 37 years ago,” wrote Palestinian reporter Shahd Abusalama for Al Jazeera in 2017.

Marvin Reyes, who started a fast in Bergen County (NJ) Jail, was transferred to another facility in Miami in retaliation. He was released earlier this month after a four-month hunger strike that he was able to prolong with a few intermittent snacks.

“Over 16 guys that I’ve been in contact with have been released on hunger strike. It’s totally unprecedented,” says Marcial Morales of the recent hunger strikes by ICE detainees. When asked about when to execute a strike, he said, “Do the right thing first. Put your hunger strike as plan C. If whatever legal proceeding doesn’t work, okay, let’s do it the hard way. People don’t deserve this punishment for their freedom, but it takes what it takes.”

Interviews with Ana Ramirez and Bonilla were translated from Spanish by the author.

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