It’s getting hard to keep track of all the convenience store openings, with Wawa and Quick Chek both expanding and new entrants like Royal Farms making inroads. Wawa opened their 266th store in Deptford last week and more are on the way.
The newest Wawa is in Deptford on Clements Bridge Road; it is the third store for that town. The other new ones, which are planned to open before the end of the year will be in: Brick, Bridgeton, Butler, Chesterfield, Freehold, Gibbsboro, Jefferson, Mount Holly, Pennsauken, and Plainfield.
In a statement, quoted by NJ.com, Wawa President and CEO Chris Geyhsens said “As new stores open throughout the year, we will continue to bring not just a new Wawa to the community but a commitment to community partnerships, new jobs and growth.”
Wawa has more than 850 stores nationwide. Its main competitor in New Jersey, Quick Chek, has also been expanding in the Garden State, with new stores opening, or recently opened, in Piscataway, Roxbury, Somerset, Hackettstown, and Hamilton. Quick Chek has around 160 New Jersey stores.
Wawa was also in the news recently because they are rolling out self-checkout kiosks; the company says that they have sped up the checkout process in the stores where they were installed. Wawa spokesperson Lori Bruce said in a statement, “We have seen positive customer reaction to the self-checkout test, and we are now in the process of reviewing and refining our processes and plan to continue to add it as an option to more stores.”
The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Doyle. Any opinions expressed are Bill Doyle’s own.
Goosebumps and other bodily reactions, explained
Answers to 25 common COVID-19 vaccine questions
Vaccinations for COVID-19 began being administered in the U.S. on Dec. 14, 2020. The quick rollout came a little more than a year after the virus was first identified in November 2019. The impressive speed with which vaccines were developed has also left a lot of people with a lot of questions. The questions range from the practical—how will I get vaccinated?—to the scientific—how do these vaccines even work?
Keep reading to discover answers to 25 common COVID-19 vaccine questions.
Early voting locations in each NJ county
Each county in the state will have between three and 10 early voting locations, open daily for the 2021 general election from Oct. 23 through Oct. 31. The sites will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. except for Sundays, when they will close at 6 p.m.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a warning to anyone who may have purchased a pre-packaged salami product sold at Trader Joe’s and other stores to not eat it, and immediately throw it out.
“Premium Italian-Style Salame Sticks,” made by Citterio, should be tossed regardless of the best-by date, according to the CDC, due to potential salmonella contamination that is still being investigated.
So far 20 illnesses have been reported across the United States, with one of those in New Jersey. Three of the 20 people sickened needed to be hospitalized.
There has been no official recall, but the CDC said its investigators are still determining if related products may also be contaminated.
Home consumers and businesses alike are urged to wash and sanitize surfaces that may have come in contact with this product, including storage containers.
As New Jersey 101.5 recently reported with respect to an outbreak tied to imported onions, most people recover from the effects of salmonella poisoning within a week, but children younger than 5 and adults over 65 are at increased risk of medical treatment or hospitalization.
Symptoms include prolonged diarrhea, fever, vomiting, and dehydration.
Vaccinations for COVID-19 began being administered in the U.S. on Dec. 14, 2020. The quick rollout came a little more than a year after the virus was first identified in November 2019. The impressive speed with which vaccines were developed has also left a lot of people with a lot of questions. The questions range from the practical—how will I get vaccinated?—to the scientific—how do these vaccines even work?
Keep reading to discover answers to 25 common COVID-19 vaccine questions.
Early voting locations in each NJ county
Each county in the state will have between three and 10 early voting locations, open daily for the 2021 general election from Oct. 23 through Oct. 31. The sites will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. except for Sundays, when they will close at 6 p.m.
We’re at the stage of the governor’s race where people are asking: Is it really tight?
Former President Barack Obama was in town Friday. President Joe Biden is in New Jersey today for a technically official visit. Jack Ciattarelli supporters say that’s a sign Gov. Murphy’s worried. But there’s very little objective data to go on. The Rebovich Institute has been keeping tabs on vote-by-mail responses (and early voting), and Democrats and Republicans are returning them at fairly even rates (With thousands more by Democrats, which is to be expected given the party’s embrace of mail-in voting and the Republicans’ turn against them.) And there’s that Emerson poll from last week that showed a six point race.
So all eyes are on Monmouth University Polling Institute, which is expected to release a new poll on the race soon. Monmouth’s last one, from September, had Murphy up by 13 points over Ciattarelli. If this shows a tight race, I think you’ll start seeing some Democratic panic.
When Chris Christie beat Jon Corzine in 2009, he had good relations with some very powerful Democratic bosses. If the relations between Murphy and Democratic leaders are more stressed than usual, they’ve managed to hide it.
There is also evidence presented by Ciattarelli that dogs — or at least one dog — doesn’t like Murphy. This certainly does not bode well for the incumbent, who apparently failed to ply influential pups with treats the same way he showered county Democratic committees with money ahead of his 2017 campaign.
WHERE’S MURPHY? In the Meadowlands for a 1:30 p.m. event with President Biden promoting the infrastructure package. Media: MSNBC at 7:45 a.m.
‘IF YOU LIKE YOUR GOVERNOR YOU CAN KEEP HIM’ — Obama, stumping for Murphy, calls on New Jersey voters to make the ‘right choice,’ by POLITICO’s Katherine Landergan: Former President Barack Obama railed against the “politics of meanness” on Saturday as he stumped for Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy with just days to go before Election Day. “We are at a turning point right now. There’s a mood out there. There’s a politics of meanness, division and conflict,” Obama said at Weequahic Park in Newark. “I’ll tell you that’s the path to ruin.” Murphy brought in Obama, his highest profile surrogate to date, as New Jersey embarked on the first day of early-in person voting. Obama made the case for New Jerseyans to vote early. Indeed, hundreds of thousands of state residents have already submitted mail-in ballots.
VOTERS TOLD THEY CAN SAVE HUNDREDS ON THEIR CAR INSURANCE WITH PROGRESSIVE — “N.J. governor race tests Murphy’s progressive politics,” by The AP’s Mike Catalini: “Paid sick leave. Taxpayer-funded community college. A phased-in $15 minimum wage. New Jersey has taken a decidedly liberal shift under first-term Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, increasing income taxes on the wealthy, expanding voting rights and tightening the state’s already restrictive gun laws. It’s a notable change from his predecessor. … The race has national implications, though it has gotten less attention than Virginia’s high-profile governor’s contest. A loss for Murphy would be shocking in a state that Biden won over Republican Donald Trump by nearly 16 points last year. It would also raise questions about whether moderate voters repelled by Trump were returning to the Republican Party now that the former president is no longer in office.”
—“Should Murphy be worried? Race against Ciattarelli tightening, gov says: I’m running a ‘paranoid’ campaign,” by NJ Advance Media’s Matt Arco and Brent Johnson: “Many political observers are still expecting Murphy to become the first Democratic New Jersey governor since Brendan Byrne in the 1970s to win re-election. Still, Murphy himself admits he’s running’“a paranoid race,’ taking nothing for granted. And a number of factors suggest the contest has gotten more urgent as it enters its final week … Mike DuHaime, Christie’s chief strategist for both of his gubernatorial victories, said all hope is not lost for Ciattarelli to pull off an upset. ‘Republicans have grown more optimistic over time,’ DuHaime said. He argued that the “national mood” has deteriorated for Biden and Democrats in the wake of the United States’ controversial withdrawal from Afghanistan and tense spending negotiations in Congress. ‘And the Murphy campaign didn’t put Jack away early like they could have’ … Murphy’s supporters, however, aren’t sweating it, at least not publicly. State Sen. Richard Codey, D-Essex, a former governor and longtime Murphy supporter, cited polling that shows a majority of New Jerseyans approve of Murphy’s handling of COVID-19. ‘I’ve said it a million times: It’s about the pandemic, it’s about the pandemic, it’s about the pandemic,’ Codey said.”
ANY ANTI-VACCINE LAWMAKERS OUT THERE? — New Statehouse vaccine requirement likely coming, by POLITICO’s Matt Friedman: New Jersey officials are preparing to enact a vaccine requirement at the Statehouse complex in Trenton that may effectively apply to every lawmaker. The State Capitol Joint Management Commission, which has jurisdiction over the complex, plans to vote on “approval of a State House vaccination policy” on Tuesday, according to a notice of its upcoming meeting. The eight-member commission is made up of four Murphy administration officials as well as one representative each from the Senate and Assembly Democratic and Republican caucuses. The agenda does not include details of the proposed policy. Legislative leaders are not expected to try to deny members who refuse to comply with the mandate from voting, which would potentially raise constitutional issues, but they may set up ways those lawmakers can vote remotely.
THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC MUST BE UNITED! — Montclair’s future a hot topic at New Jersey redistricting hearing, by POLITICO’s Matt Friedman: New Jersey redistricting commissioners on Saturday heard competing visions for the future representation of Montclair — a liberal bastion in Essex County currently split between two congressional districts — during their first hearing that featured public input. The town of about 38,000 is represented by two Democrats: Mikie Sherrill in the 11th District and Donald Payne in the 10th District. Mark Lurinsky, a CPA and Democratic activist, said that just as Montclair adopted a magnet school system so housing segregation didn’t lead to school segregation for the town’s relatively diverse population, it should see its population combined into one congressional district. That district, he said, should be the 11th — an affluent suburban swing district.
NOT QUITE NICE — “NJ gains back 68% of jobs lost during pandemic,” by NJBIZ’s Daniel J. Munoz: “New Jersey added another 21,500 jobs to its workforce in September, marking a total of 488,100 positions that have been recovered since the worst of the COVID-19 recession in March and April last year, according to data gathered by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and released by the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The total represents 68% of the jobs lost due to the pandemic. Last month, the state logged an unemployment rate of 7.1%, remaining above the 7% mark for much of the year. That rate is among the highest in the nation — in the top five as of August along with New York while nearby states such as Connecticut also come close.”
CABANNABIS — “Who will control legal marijuana sales in N.J.? Local players or big companies?” by The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Harold Brubaker: “Manuel Caban is a lifelong Camden resident who was arrested twice for marijuana offenses and a decade ago spent 30 days and then a year in prison for dealing. That, he figures, makes him an ideal candidate for a license to sell cannabis now that New Jersey has legalized it with a focus on giving individuals who suffered under cannabis prohibition a solid path into the industry. “I’m not a bad kid. I just got caught up selling weed,” said Caban, 38, who now runs a small catering business and intends to apply for a license to open a cannabis store in the city with two Camden friends, who also grew up poor in rough neighborhoods. Other states that have legalized recreational cannabis in recent years, such as Illinois and Massachusetts, have been trying to make such amends for people with marijuana convictions, as well as for people of color and women. But so far those efforts, in an industry expected to generate $24 billion in sales this year, have had only limited success, said Tahir Johnson, a Trenton native and director of social equity and inclusion at the United States Cannabis Council, a Washington group that lobbies nationally for cannabis legalization.”
AS NJ BOASTS OF REVENUE FROM MAKING AN ADDICTIVE GAMBLING HABIT EASIER, GROWING ONE PLANT IS STILL A FELONY — “Legal weed is real in NJ — but so should be home cultivation,” by Jim Higdon for Gannett: “Who stands to benefit from keeping homegrown cannabis illegal in New Jersey? Although there are no such allegations being made in the Garden State, there have been reports of marijuana businesses advocating for a ban on homegrown cannabis to protect their own interests in other states, from New York to Michigan. Law enforcement is also interested in keeping homegrown cannabis illegal. That could be because police often use the smell of cannabis as a reason to search a home without a warrant … When homegrown cannabis is made legal, law enforcement will lose that ability because the smell will no longer indicate that a crime is being committed. That puts police groups and marijuana businesses on the same side of the issue in a Baptist-bootlegger compromise to maintain the last remaining vestiges of prohibition. And that’s a mess.”
SOURCES INSIST ON ANONYMITY ABOUT SUCH SENSITIVE INFORMATION —“Biden to use N.J. trip to kick off construction of new Portal Bridge, sources say,” by NJ Advance Media’s Jonathan S. Salant: “President Joe Biden will officially kick off construction of the new Portal Bridge when he visits New Jersey on Monday, NJ Advance Media has learned. While there won’t be a traditional ceremonial groundbreaking with shovels in the ground, Biden will announce that construction will get underway to replace the aging structure, according to sources familiar with the planning, speaking on condition of anonymity as to not get ahead of the president’s visit. “
HACKNOTSACKED — “Two Hackensack cops implicated in warrantless search can’t be fired, court rules,” by The Record’s Katie Sobko: “Four years of legal wrangling over the fates of Hackensack officers accused of a warrantless search seemingly came to an end Thursday, when the appellate court said two officers should not have been fired, but upheld the city’s decision to fire a third. The Civil Service Commission earlier this year imposed a six-month suspension for Hackensack police officers Rocco Duardo and Victor Vazquez and terminated the employment of Officer Mark Gutierrez. The city had sought to fire all three, while the officers fought for lesser penalties. Vazquez sued the city in June demanding to be reinstated. Judges Clarkson Fisher, Heidi Willis Currier and Patrick DeAlmeida of the state Superior Court Appellate Division said in affirming the suspensions that ‘although we might differ regarding the right sanction, it is not our role to substitute our own views’ … Officers Justin de la Bruyere, Duardo, Gutierrez and Vazquez entered a third-floor apartment at 64 Prospect Ave. in Hackensack without first obtaining a warrant. Gutierrez filed a report later saying they were there investigating the potential sale of an illegal firearm and entered the apartment only after a resident of the building said there may have been an unattended child inside. The city suspended the officers in May 2017 after an internal affairs investigation determined the officers had concocted the report of the unattended child as a pretext to enter the apartment.”
IT’S ALMOST AS IF SOCIAL MEDIA IS BAD FOR NUANCE AND UNDERSTANDING — “Online furor over a student’s hijab engulfs a liberal town,” by The New York Times’ Tracey Tully: “The second-grader said her teacher in Maplewood, N.J., had begun to pull off a hijab she wears as an observant Muslim, exposing her hair and prompting her to hold on to the head covering, the family’s lawyer said. The girl’s mother recounted the story on Facebook. Then, an Olympic medalist who fences in a hijab and lives in the same New Jersey school district denounced the incident on Instagram, where she has 384,000 followers … Fundamental facts surrounding the Oct. 6 interaction remained in dispute, but Reddit and Instagram were awash in opinions. New Jersey’s governor weighed in on Twitter, and a statewide Islamic group demanded the teacher’s “immediate firing.” It was the fifth week of school. The teacher, Tamar Herman, has said that she brushed back the girl’s hooded sweatshirt because it was covering her eyes, unaware the girl was not wearing her usual hijab underneath … But the seconds-long interaction between a white teacher and a Black student was already firmly in the grip of an online maw, underscoring the extraordinary power of social media to quickly pass judgment, with little regard for accuracy or fallout.”
DISTRICT THAT PAYS ITS LAWYER $1 MILLION HAS TROUBLE FINDING SAFE BUS DRIVERS – “Serious school bus crash in Lakewood, 5th in a month,” by Patch’s Karen Wall: “There were two crashes involving school buses in Lakewood on Thursday, bringing the total to at least five school bus crashes in the town in just over a month. In a crash shortly before 9 p.m. Thursday, Shulem Ekstein, 37, was cited for careless driving after he made a left turn in his 2019 Ford Expedition in front of a 2020 Dodge Challenger driven by Moshe Wasserman, Lakewood Police Capt. Gregory Staffordsmith said Friday morning … The crash Thursday night was the second of the day, and fifth involving a school bus since mid-September, when a school bus wound up perched on another vehicle.”
R.I.P. — “Firefighter, 89, who was ‘heart and soul’ of department dies after responding to crash,” by NJ Advance Media’s Amanda Hoover: “A New Jersey fire department is grieving the loss of an 89-year-old firefighter affectionately known as ‘Pop’ who died Saturday morning after responding to a car crash. Nicholas Prioli suffered a medical emergency while walking home from the firehouse, said Chief Timothy Carson, head of the Jackson Township Volunteer Fire Company No. 1, Station 55. He had returned with other firefighters after responding to a car crash, but stayed back alone and later tried to walk home … Prioli was the department’s safety officer and treasurer, and an honorary chief. He served alongside his grandson, an assistant chief in the firehouse. Prioli continued to complete difficult trainings even as he aged, including one that required him to escape a building on a rope head first”
R.I.P. — “Bob Rudolph, giant among journalists during 35+ years at Star-Ledger, dies at 75,” by New Jersey Globe’s David Wildstein: “Robert C. Rudolph, a legendary Star-Ledger reporter who covered the federal courthouse and criminal justice issues, died on October 20. He was 75 and died after a brief illness. Rudolph worked for the Star-Ledger from about 1969 until his retirement at the end of 2005 and is among the most consequential journalists in New Jersey history. For decades, he dominated news coverage of organized crime in New Jersey and played a major role in building a circulation following the demise of the Newark Evening News in 1972 that made the Star-Ledger that state’s leading newspaper”
HIGHER ED — “One N.J.’s oldest colleges may shut down. Here’s how things fell apart,” by NJ Advance Media’s Kelly Heyboer: “Standing before her campus last week, Marcheta Evans knew what she was about to do was incredibly risky. But she did it anyway. The Bloomfield College president faced a town hall meeting of students and faculty and let all of the school’s secrets out. The 153-year-old private college is in serious financial trouble, she told the crowd. It doesn’t have enough money to start the 2022-2023 school year unless a donor or another college steps in to save it … Campus officials are banking that Bloomfield’s unique feature — as New Jersey’s only four-year private college that serves predominantly Black and Hispanic students — will help save it. They are betting another college or network of schools, either in New Jersey or elsewhere, and private philanthropic groups with similar missions will invest in keeping the school alive. But first Bloomfield College will have to open up its books to potential partners and show how everything fell so far, so fast. The college’s finances are private, but publicly-available federal tax returns show Bloomfield has been teetering on the brink of financial disaster for years. With enrollment falling over the last decade, the school has been spending more than it has been taking in.”
Hammonton Hammonton Family Success Center 310 Bellevue Ave Hammonton, NJ 08037
Northfield Shoreview Building 101 Shore Rd Northfield, NJ 08225
EARLY VOTING WILL TAKE PLACE THROUGH SUNDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2021
MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY FROM 10:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M. & SUNDAY FROM 10:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M.
If you do not vote early, then on Tuesday, November 2, 2021, you’ll vote at your normal polling place.
My wife Margie and I were the 2nd and 3rd voters at the Northfield, New Jersey early voting polling center.
First, the staff members were fantastic. They were enthusiastic and helpful.
It was fun because it was all new for everyone; the voters and the poll workers.
We arrived at about 10:15 a.m., the polls were scheduled to open at 10:00 a.m.
About 10 minutes later, we watched the first voter walk out after casting his vote.
Margie and I, along with Atlantic County Commissioner Frank Balles and his wife, Cyndi Balles walked in next.
We we’re asked our last names and the poll workers were able to locate us in the voting records.
We next signed a hard copy of the voter registration authority, (the blue item) and signed a computer screen with a stylist (both are pictured below).
Harry Hurley TSM photo
The process was very smooth, although be prepared as you may not like how your signature looks. Your new signature will be displayed directly next to last one you signed in the old manual polling books.
Next, you wait to be directed to a voting machine to actually cast your vote. That took a few more minutes.
The new voting process is outstanding. It’s not legal to publish your ballot in New Jersey, so I can’t show you what the ballot looks like here.
I can tell you that it is very well formulated and easy to follow.
The new voting process also shows you a printed paper copy of your voted ballot, displayed behind glass.
You are given two chances to change your vote selections being earned by digital display that you can not change your vote after pressing this button.
Here’s exactly what this looks like:
The first screen displays your cast ballot.
Harry Hurley TSM photo
The next screen instructs your to print your ballot. There is no turning back after you press the button to print your ballot.
This step looks exactly like this:
Harry Hurley TSM photo
Lynn Caterson, one of the 4 Members of the Atlantic County Board of Elections was on hand in Northfield and appropriately perched outside of the voting area.
Maureen Bugdon, Superintendent of The Atlantic County Board of Elections was stationed at the Atlantic City polling center.
Full disclosure, I went into this new early voting method with a somewhat predisposed negative bias … which was not fair on my part.
Considering the fact that this is a brand new process, I left highly impressed with the overall experience.
The technology works. You cast your vote in the voting machine booth by touch screen. Use your finger to vote. The cylindrical item provided to vote, doesn’t work well.
That’s no one’s fault. It’s designed to be a human touch screen. Only COVID-19 brought about these plastic tubes, pictured here below:
Harry Hurley TSM photo
I left the voting center more confident then ever before that my vote will count, because you actually get to see and review your printed ballot before finalizing your decisions.
I’m totally impressed with the new technology. Your voting machine ballot is able to be displayed in any of the six cities during early voting; just as though you were voting in your own home town polling place.
As impressed as I was with the new equipment abs voting processes; I was more impressed with the staff.
You could readily tell that they went through proper training to be able to implement early voting for the first time in New Jersey history.
Beyond that, even more impressive was how friendly, accommodating and service minded they were.
I was the second person ever in Northfield to cast an early vote and the whole process took less than 10 minutes.
I’m confident to say that going forward, you’ll be able to do it in less than a minute or two.
I give everyone involved a grade of A+
Below is a link of a previous story that I wrote recently about early voting … followed by additional galleries that will provide you with the location of every early voting center in New Jersey.
Each county in the state will have between three and 10 early voting locations, open daily for the 2021 general election from Oct. 23 through Oct. 31. The sites will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. except for Sundays, when they will close at 6 p.m.
Never Before Seen Golden Nugget Construction Photos
An Exclusive Look Back at the Golden Nugget, Atlantic City from 1980
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.
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 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.
Walensky disagreed and put that recommendation back in, noting that such a move aligns with an FDA booster authorization decision earlier this week.
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.
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
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
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?
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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
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
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
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.
As of Sunday, there have been 1,034,505 total positive PCR tests in the state since March 2020, and there have been 25,041 lab-confirmed coronavirus deaths, according to the state Health Department.
In this article, we want to throw out the question “what do we really need in Toms River?” a chance for YOU to sound off and let us know what we would benefit from, being added to our community here in Toms River Township.
Toms River is a great town and I love being located right here in Downtown Toms River, with our Townsquare Media Studios located at 8 Robbins Street. It’s great being right in the Downtown district. There is always a lot of activity and the Downtown district continues to evolve and grow. It’s great to see Downtown Toms River coming back to life… following the pandemic.
So the question is, moving forward, what are we lacking here in Toms River? not just “downtown” but throughout the township. What do we need here in Toms River?
The best way to find out is to ask YOU and as always YOU have given me a lot of suggestions and ideas to help Toms River 🙂 Thank You!
Michael: A skateboard Park… Activities like Basketball … Gymnastics …. my favorite … Swimming and Diving …. kids today spend too much time playing video games …
Lori: A good (non-chain) seafood restaurant
Pallet Pete: Cracker Barrel
Allisscool Christian: Healthy Cafes, Organic food stores, More Farmers Markets…Business Owners who CARE more about their Customers/others than Money
Stephanie: An indoor flea market
Buffy: Sonic
Kris: Another Dollar store, Starbucks, Dunkin Doughnuts etc! Definitely don’t have enough of those
Adam: Can’t believe another Pizza Hut coming into Silverton unreal.
Joe: Cheaper taxes
Kate: Wegmans, Trader Joe’s
Beerking: A good Bakery
Cynthia: The roads fixed. No more construction. Taxes lowered
Jennifer: Less taxes, politics, construction, and corruption
Rose: Christmas tree store
Dawn: People that use their directionals
Meg: Hobby lobby !!!!!
Carole: A park where you can walk with a sidewalk
Ted: Dog park. Southern or Texas-style BBQ. Express buses to downtown Manhattan
Bob: Dave and Busters
John: Dave and Busters
Deb: Cracker Barrel
Lots of comments, those are just a few. What do YOU think we need in Toms River? Post Your comments below after you scroll through these great New Jersey towns photo gallery….
These are the 25 Best Places To Live in New Jersey
Stacker compiled a list of the best places to live in New Jersey using data from Niche. Niche ranks places to live based on a variety of factors including cost of living, schools, health care, recreation, and weather. Cities, suburbs, and towns were included. Listings and images are from realtor.com.
On the list, there’s a robust mix of offerings from great schools and nightlife to high walkability and public parks. Some areas have enjoyed rapid growth thanks to new businesses moving to the area, while others offer glimpses into area history with well-preserved architecture and museums. Keep reading to see if your hometown made the list.
Variations in autism prevalence occur at the community level, Rutgers study finds
In some New Jersey communities up to 8 percent of children have autism spectrum disorder (ASD) — more than triple the national average, according to a Rutgers study.
Funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the study appears in the journal Autism Research.
Researchers analyzed data from the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network — a group of programs funded by CDC to estimate the number of children with autism — looking at 5,453 children in public school districts in Essex, Hudson and Union counties who were 8 years old in 2016.
They discovered an estimated ASD prevalence of 36 children per 1,000 in most regions, but greater than 70 per 1,000 in multiple school districts in the state. The national average of children with ASD is 2 percent.
“When we focused on the district level, we recognized that many communities in our region —approximately one in five, including some of the largest — had ASD rates over 5 percent,” said study coauthor Josephine Shenouda, a project coordinator at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. “These variations may reflect differences in use of services or access to care. Larger districts may provide more services from a greater number of professionals or have additional resources for detection or care of ASD. It is also possible that parents of children with learning or developmental disorders relocate from small districts to large districts to maximize their children’s educational attainment.”
The study also found that one in five school districts had ASD estimates greater than 5 percent and that Hispanic children were less likely to be identified with ASD, compared to white and Black peers, indicating a significant disparity in identification.
ASD prevalence was approximately 5 percent in Newark, the state’s largest school district. Toms River, which is the state’s largest suburban school district, had the highest ASD prevalence (7.3 percent), with a 12 percent prevalence among boys. “We found that mid-socioeconomic status communities, like Toms River, had the highest ASD rates, which was contrary to expectation because in earlier U.S. studies ASD rates were highest in high-socioeconomic status communities,” said Shenouda.
“The study suggests that effective educational and health planning should be informed by community and county level estimates and data as well as by state and national averages,” said coauthor Walter Zahorodny, an associate professor of pediatrics at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. “It also shows that additional effort is needed to reduce disparities in the identification of ASD in the Hispanic community, including expansion of ASD screening of toddler-age children.”
Other Rutgers authors include Emily Barrett, Amy L. Davidow, William Halperin and Vincent Silenzio.
The COVID-19 pandemic has burdened children in ways we can’t even fully comprehend — from the uncertainties of remote learning and social isolation to the economic and health challenges straining their families. Today, this toll on kids’ health and well-being is becoming apparent.
One facet of this is childhood obesity, and new data show this urgent health threat in New Jersey, particularly among children of color. The state’s obesity rate among youth ages 10 to 17 is 13.8%. New Jersey is actually doing better than most states; even so, too many young people are still at greater risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and some forms of cancer. Children’s health issues today risk becoming burdens as they grow older.
Black and brown youth in New Jersey fare even worse than white children — disparities that mirror what we see nationally. Children of color and children growing up furthest from economic opportunity have historically been at the greatest risk for obesity.
This is an indictment of our society, not of the children or their families.
Systemic factors like inadequate access to healthy food, stagnant incomes and the lack of access to healthcare all contribute to childhood obesity. In New Jersey, and across the nation, many of these factors are grounded in generations of structural racism — unfair treatment built into policies, laws and practices. This is evident in housing, education, employment, income, credit access and healthcare. Every system that touches and shapes our lives creates these impacts. These patterns and practices reinforce discriminatory beliefs, values and the distribution of resources. All of this, in turn, affects the health of children and their families.
Imagine growing up in a community without stores that sell healthy, affordable foods. This challenge was made even worse during the pandemic, as food insecurity increased and too many families were forced to resort to less-healthy meals for their families, which can contribute to childhood obesity. Imagine, too, that the neighborhood does not offer children safe places to play, or even clean air to breathe. The parent or caregiver works hard, but their work hours are unpredictable and they don’t get paid enough to even cover the basic necessities. Their job doesn’t offer health insurance, so if someone in their family gets sick, a difficult situation suddenly becomes an impossible one.
We have seen these impacts not just in long-term childhood obesity rate trends, but throughout the pandemic, where deep-seated inequities have harmed some communities more than others. Here in New Jersey, for instance, Black and Latino residents are over-represented in COVID-19 hospitalizations. The economic and health impacts throughout the pandemic have burdened communities of color disproportionately.
Several studies have begun to document a surge in childhood obesity rates during the pandemic. One conducted in the Philadelphia region showed obesity rates rising the most among children ages 5 to 9, and most among Black and Latino children. This is likely because the pandemic upended so many of the systems that support our lives — systems that were not adequately supporting Black and brown children equitably even before the pandemic.
Solving these systemic, interconnected problems requires changing the policies and systems that shape them. In a new report, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation offers some key recommendations to help all children grow up healthy:
Make universal school meals permanent, and provide resources so that every child has a consistent source of healthy meals. School meals have become significantly healthier over the past decade. Pandemic-era policy changes have meant more kids are getting meals. We must keep those changes in place so every child has access to healthy foods at school.
Extend eligibility for WIC to postpartum mothers through the first two years after the birth of a baby and to children through age 6. More than 130,000 people participated in WIC in New Jersey in 2019, and the obesity rate among New Jersey kids participating in WIC dropped significantly between 2010 and 2018.
Extend and expand other programs that pull families out of poverty and reduce food insecurity, such as the expanded Child Tax Credit. Families began receiving expanded Child Tax Credit payments this summer. After just the first month of payments, the percentage of families with children reporting that they sometimes or often did not have enough to eat declined significantly.
Develop a consistent approach to collecting timely data on obesity rates, including data organized by race, ethnicity and income level. We can’t change what we can’t or don’t measure. Some data on obesity rates by race and ethnicity are available, but not nearly enough. Being able to track rates and changes over time among different groups in New Jersey would help to ensure that our strategies are grounded in equity.
We know what must happen so that children and families in New Jersey can become healthier. If we’re serious about ushering in equity and opportunity, we cannot waste another day.
Amelie Ramirez is director of Salud America!, a national Latino-focused organization based atUT Health San Antonio.
Maisha Simmons is director of New Jersey Grantmaking at theRobert Wood Johnson Foundation, the largest philanthropy in New Jersey and the largest focused on health in the nation.
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Now that the CDC recommended booster doses of all three U.S.-approved COVID-19 vaccines, many may be wondering how exactly the agency concluded that those who’ve been vaccinated can get a booster shot made by a different company than their initial regimen.
The boosters give “flexibility” to the vaccinated, according to Dr. Shobha Swaminathan, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School associate professor, and are safe and effective as indicated by clinical trial data.
Not only that, Swaminathan said, but in those whose antibody levels may have decreased since receiving their primary vaccine series, a booster — in keeping with its name — can restore those levels to what they were, or even higher.
Swaminathan said preliminary research even suggests that for those who got the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, following up with one of the other makers’ shots, something called heterologous boosting, may produce more antibodies than a J&J booster would.
“If you initially got the J&J vaccine, you might probably be better off getting a booster with one of the messenger RNA vaccines, either the Moderna or the Pfizer vaccine,” Swaminathan said.
In the primary series stage, Johnson & Johnson was seen to have an advantage because it was one-and-done. But now, the CDC has recommended boosters for all who received that brand, instead of for just the high-risk groups who got the others.
“Since everybody who got the one-and-dones needs to get a ‘second shot,’ or a booster, it’s a level playing field, because you could get a booster with one shot,” Swaminathan said.
So what about being “fully boosted”? Full antibody protection is considered achieved two weeks after receiving the Johnson & Johnson shot, or a second dose of Moderna or Pfizer.
But the immune response to a booster could be observed in as little as 10 days, Swaminathan said, because contrary to getting the initial doses, those who have been vaccinated now have a baseline of COVID antibodies to build upon.
“You really needed to wait for the full two weeks after your second shot to be ‘fully protected,’ right?” she said. “But currently, those that are going in for boosters are not starting from zero.”
Swaminathan suggested that the antibody response created by the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, despite the breakthrough cases caused by the Delta variant, has been so strong that boosters are not being urged at this time for recipients with no underlying conditions.
Still, she said lining up for an extra shot isn’t totally worthless for these people.
“We all know of people in our circle, young, healthy people who want to get the booster, and that’s OK. And I think these data show that you’re not going to have any significant bad outcomes thus far,” Swaminathan said.
If you have questions, Swaminathan said to talk to your doctor, read up on the latest CDC guidance, and if you do get a booster shot and have an adverse side effect, report it.
The booster decisions that have been made are the right ones, she said, but were based on much smaller studies, so more information is always needed.
These are the 25 Best Places To Live in New Jersey
Stacker compiled a list of the best places to live in New Jersey using data from Niche. Niche ranks places to live based on a variety of factors including cost of living, schools, health care, recreation, and weather. Cities, suburbs, and towns were included. Listings and images are from realtor.com.
On the list, there’s a robust mix of offerings from great schools and nightlife to high walkability and public parks. Some areas have enjoyed rapid growth thanks to new businesses moving to the area, while others offer glimpses into area history with well-preserved architecture and museums. Keep reading to see if your hometown made the list.
Now that the CDC recommended booster doses of all three U.S.-approved COVID-19 vaccines, many may be wondering how exactly the agency concluded that those who’ve been vaccinated can get a booster shot made by a different company than their initial regimen.
The boosters give “flexibility” to the vaccinated, according to Dr. Shobha Swaminathan, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School associate professor, and are safe and effective as indicated by clinical trial data.
Not only that, Swaminathan said, but in those whose antibody levels may have decreased since receiving their primary vaccine series, a booster — in keeping with its name — can restore those levels to what they were, or even higher.
Swaminathan said preliminary research even suggests that for those who got the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, following up with one of the other makers’ shots, something called heterologous boosting, may produce more antibodies than a J&J booster would.
“If you initially got the J&J vaccine, you might probably be better off getting a booster with one of the messenger RNA vaccines, either the Moderna or the Pfizer vaccine,” Swaminathan said.
In the primary series stage, Johnson & Johnson was seen to have an advantage because it was one-and-done. But now, the CDC has recommended boosters for all who received that brand, instead of for just the high-risk groups who got the others.
“Since everybody who got the one-and-dones needs to get a ‘second shot,’ or a booster, it’s a level playing field, because you could get a booster with one shot,” Swaminathan said.
So what about being “fully boosted”? Full antibody protection is considered achieved two weeks after receiving the Johnson & Johnson shot, or a second dose of Moderna or Pfizer.
But the immune response to a booster could be observed in as little as 10 days, Swaminathan said, because contrary to getting the initial doses, those who have been vaccinated now have a baseline of COVID antibodies to build upon.
“You really needed to wait for the full two weeks after your second shot to be ‘fully protected,’ right?” she said. “But currently, those that are going in for boosters are not starting from zero.”
Swaminathan suggested that the antibody response created by the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, despite the breakthrough cases caused by the Delta variant, has been so strong that boosters are not being urged at this time for recipients with no underlying conditions.
Still, she said lining up for an extra shot isn’t totally worthless for these people.
“We all know of people in our circle, young, healthy people who want to get the booster, and that’s OK. And I think these data show that you’re not going to have any significant bad outcomes thus far,” Swaminathan said.
If you have questions, Swaminathan said to talk to your doctor, read up on the latest CDC guidance, and if you do get a booster shot and have an adverse side effect, report it.
The booster decisions that have been made are the right ones, she said, but were based on much smaller studies, so more information is always needed.
Vaccinations for COVID-19 began being administered in the U.S. on Dec. 14, 2020. The quick rollout came a little more than a year after the virus was first identified in November 2019. The impressive speed with which vaccines were developed has also left a lot of people with a lot of questions. The questions range from the practical—how will I get vaccinated?—to the scientific—how do these vaccines even work?
Keep reading to discover answers to 25 common COVID-19 vaccine questions.
Delta variant dominating NJ – here are signs you may have it
Early voting locations in each NJ county
Each county in the state will have between three and 10 early voting locations, open daily for the 2021 general election from Oct. 23 through Oct. 31. The sites will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. except for Sundays, when they will close at 6 p.m.
