July 12, 2022

Congressman Kim - Coronavirus Update – July 12th

NJ COVID-19 Cases Update (as of 7/11/22 at 10:00 a.m.)

• +2,573 NEW COVID-19 cases statewide
  
  • 7-day average of NEW cases a day: 3,168
• +9 NEW fatalities / total (cumulative) fatalities in New Jersey: 31,021
• 77% of New Jersey residents of all eligible ages are fully vaccinated
• +141 NEW cases in Burlington County
  
  • The COVID-19 community risk level in Burlington County is currently high. 
  • 76% of Burlington County residents of all eligible ages are vaccinated  
  • 16 Long Term Care facilities with ACTIVE outbreaks
  • Currently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends Burlington County residents wear a mask indoors in public, stay up to date with vaccines, and get tested if symptomatic. If you are at high risk for severe illness, talk to your healthcare provider about taking additional precautions. 
• +137 NEW cases in Ocean County 
  
  • The COVID-19 community risk level in Ocean County is currently medium.
  • 55% of Ocean County residents of all eligible ages are vaccinated
  • 34 Long Term Care facilities with ACTIVE outbreaks
  • Currently, the CDC recommends Ocean County residents stay up to date with vaccines and get tested if symptomatic. If you are at high risk for severe illness, talk to your healthcare provider about whether you need to wear a mask and take other precautions.

• COVID-19 Infant/Child Initial Vaccine walk-in appointments are open at the Burlington County COVID-19 Vaccine Mega-Site at 1190 Nixon Dr in Mount Laurel. Both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are available to everyone 6 months of age and older. You can also call 1-856-325-4222 to speak with the COVID Screening Team who can assist you with scheduling an appointment.
• The Ocean County Health Department Pediatric COVID Vaccine Clinic at 175 Sunset Ave in Toms River is offering the COVID-19 vaccine to children 6 months of age and older every Monday in July from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. More information on Ocean County vaccination clinics can be found at https://www.ochd.org.

CDC Mask Recommendations 

CDC mask recommendations are now based on their COVID-19 Community Level tool, which was released in February. The guidelines, which classify the country into low, medium, and high levels of COVID-19, provide individuals with an understanding of what precautions they should consider based on the level of disease in their community, their underlying risk, and their own risk tolerance. The metrics are based on hospitalizations and case rates.  You can read more about the CDC metrics, which are updated every Thursday, here.

As of today, Burlington is considered HIGH RISK, according to the CDC. Therefore, federal officials recommend that people wear a mask indoors in public. Additional precautions may be needed for people at high risk for severe illness. People with symptoms, a positive test, or exposure to someone with COVID-19 should wear a mask. Masks are recommended in indoor public transportation settings and may be required in other places by local or state authorities.

Ocean County is considered MEDIUM RISK, according to the CDC. Therefore, federal officials recommend that people may choose to wear a mask at any time. People with symptoms, a positive test, or exposure to someone with COVID-19 should wear a mask. Additional precautions may be needed for people at high risk for severe illness. 

In total, six counties in New Jersey are currently considered high risk. The recommendations don’t trigger any mask requirements in New Jersey.

N95 masks are available for free at pharmacies, retailers, and community health centers. You can find free masks here. 

General COVID-19 Vaccine Information

Anyone six-months years old or above who lives, works, or studies in New Jersey is eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. For more information about current eligibility, statewide vaccination site locations, and to preregister for vaccination, visit COVID-19.nj.gov/vaccine.

The New Jersey COVID-19 Vaccine Call Center can also be reached at: 1-855-568-0545

• Click here for upcoming vaccination clinics and testing sites in Burlington County. 
• Click here for Ocean County Health Department vaccine clinics and testing locations. 

• CDC recommends COVID-19 vaccines, including boosters, for everyone ages five years and older.
• Booster shots of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine are available to people over five years old who have received their second dose within at least five months. 
• Booster shots of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine are recommended to all adults 18 or older at least two months after their primary dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. 
• Booster shots of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are available to all adults 18 or older who received their second dose at least five months ago. 
  
  • Unlike the Pfizer booster shot, the Moderna booster shot is a half dose.

The CDC considers people to be up to date if:

• They have completed their primary series – but are not yet eligible for a booster
• They have received one booster but are not recommended to get a 2nd booster
• They have received one booster but are not yet eligible for a 2nd booster

On Tuesday, March 29th, the CDC recommended a second booster shot of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for immunocompromised individuals over age 12 and adults 50 and older at least four months after their first booster.

People ages 18 through 49 years who got a Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine for both their primary dose and booster can choose to get a 2nd booster of either Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at least 4 months after their 1st booster. The 2nd booster is not required to be considered up to date for people ages 18 through 49 years who got a Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine for both their primary dose and 1st booster.

COVID-19 Testing 

You can find a testing location near you here, order a free saliva test shipped directly to your door here, or find out more information about public testing sites, including pop-up sites here.

The NJ Department of Health and Vault Medical Services are continuing to offer free, at-home COVID-19 saliva test kits. These are available to all, even if you are symptom-free. For more information on ordering and using these free tests, click here. To order a free test kit, visit learn.vaulthealth.com/nj.

All Americans can also order three sets of four free at-⁠home, rapid COVID-19 tests that will be mailed directly to your address. Tests can be ordered online at COVIDTests.gov. Tests typically ship within 7-12 days of ordering. You can read more here. If you prefer to call, the White House has opened a line for those wanting to order their free COVID-19 tests. Call 1-800-232-0233 anytime between 8 a.m. and midnight EST to get started. The demand for these tests is extremely high, and tests are being shipped as soon as The United States Postal Service (USPS) receives them. To read through frequently asked questions to the USPS about delivery times, click here. 

For those who are blind or have low-vision, more accessible testing options can be ordered at https://special.usps.com/testkits/accessible or by calling 1-800-232-0233. More information on these tests can be found here.

You can also purchase at-home, over-the-counter COVID-19 tests upfront and then submit a claim for reimbursement to your insurance company. If you purchase an over-the-counter COVID-19 test from a pharmacy, store, or online retailer and are charged for your test, keep your receipt and submit a claim to your insurance company for reimbursement. You can read more about this policy here. People with Medicare can get up to eight tests per month from participating pharmacies and health care providers.

Additional Resources

You can find additional information and resources regarding transportation, returning to work, rental assistance, funeral reimbursement, and healthcare subsidies by clicking here. 

Where Can I Get More Information and Updates From Congressman Kim?

If you or someone you know would like to receive these updates or Congressman Kim’s weekly E-Newsletter, Senior Living Newsletter, Guide to Grants Newsletter, Veterans Newsletter, and/or our Small Business Newsletter, please sign up for them by clicking here.  

If you need help from our office with a Federal Agency, you can get in contact with us by clicking here. 

If you are a nonprofit agency or write grants, you can find more information on grant applications and our Guides to Grants newsletter here.

Our office receives regular inquiries about where to find essential resources. To help constituents, we’ve developed the following lists of resources in New Jersey’s 3rd Congressional District and beyond. This list includes organizations with a wide variety of purposes. For more information, please click here.

This email inbox is not monitored. If you would like to contact our office, click here. 

As always, please don’t hesitate to be in touch if you’re in need of assistance.

Sincerely, 

Andy Kim
Member of Congress