Comcast Worker With Coronavirus Was In Bloomfield, Officials Say

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — A Comcast technician who works in Bloomfield has tested positive for the new coronavirus that causes COVID-19, township health officials announced Tuesday evening.

The Bloomfield Health Department said it is working closely with Comcast to track and contact all Bloomfield customers who were serviced by the technician between March 3 and March 6. Any resident who came into contact with the technician will be informed about the next steps, including potentially being tested themselves, beginning a self-quarantine or other actions depending on each situation.

“Any residents who were serviced by this technician will be contacted by our health department if they have not been already, and we will walk residents through the next steps depending on the circumstances of each interaction,” Mayor Michael Venezia said.

According to township officials:

“The Bloomfield Health Department will continue to monitor residents that were serviced by this technician for the next 14 days. The technician is currently quarantined in a local hospital. No other information will be released about the patient due to medical privacy laws. If you have any questions, please contact the Bloomfield Health Department at 973-680-4024.”

“Our department is working diligently to track any interactions the individual who tested positive had with residents and we will ensure that anyone at risk of exposure is provided with all of the information necessary, including being tested themselves if appropriate,” Health Director Karen Lore said.

• See related article: Bloomfield Sees Positive Cases Of Coronavirus
• See related article: Seniors-Only Hours Coming To Bloomfield Stop & Shop For COVID-19

STATE OF EMERGENCY IN BLOOMFIELD

Tuesday’s announcement about the Comcast technician came less than an hour after Venezia issued an executive order declaring a state of emergency in Bloomfield.

The order authorizes all township departments to take “appropriate action” to assist in containing, preparing for, responding to and recovering from the COVID-19 outbreak.

The emergency proclamation will take effect immediately and will remain in effect until it is “determined that an emergency no longer exists.” The executive order may be supplemented or amended as the COVID-19 health emergency continues to change, officials said.

“Since the beginning of this crisis we have taken proactive steps in order to stay ahead of it and keep Bloomfield residents safe,” Venezia said. “We have been in regular contact with state and county health officials to identify the best ways to prevent the spread of this virus. It is clear from listening to public health officials that we cannot hope to flatten the curve without taking aggressive action and that is why I have signed this order today.”

The following measures will take place, effective immediately:

Township Departments

• All necessary township departments are authorized to take appropriate action to assist incontaining, preparing for, responding to, and recovering from the COVID-19 outbreak.
• All protocols necessary and required for opening a Bloomfield Office of Emergency Management (OEM) will be immediately instituted.
• All Township employees must follow all local, County, State and Federal health recommendations, in addition to Centers for Disease Control recommendations including but not limited to handwashing, sanitizing and basic infection control procedures.

Businesses

• There is an immediate ban on all township business related travel to any states that have reported COVID 19 cases. Similar travel restrictions are strongly recommended for all local travel.

Seniors and Residents with Underlying Health Conditions

• Township residents who are seniors, particularly those with underlying health conditions are strongly encouraged to avoid large crowds and large gatherings while COVID-19 remains a threat.

Emergency Goods and Services

• To combat COVID-19, the township is permitted to whenever necessary purchase the necessary goods or services, which are not available under contracts currently in existence {00098920.1 } with the township, without complying with the New Jersey Public Contracts Law (N.J.S.A.40A:11-6 et. seq.)

Parking

• All parking restrictions are suspended until it is determined that an emergency no longer exists.

Township officials are continuing to ask residents to practice social distancing and avoid large gatherings of people. It’s also recommended that people stay at least six feet away from others to avoid the possible spread of the virus.

CORONAVIRUS IN NEW JERSEY, NATIONWIDE

The number of people with the coronavirus in New Jersey had risen to 178 as of Monday. Authorities say three people in the state have died. Read more: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

Gov. Murphy has declared a state of emergency, schools across the state have begun to close, and local governments and community organizations have launched their own efforts to protect residents from the virus.

State health officials say it is critical that older adults and individuals with underlying medical conditions such as diabetes, lung disease and heart disease lower their risk of exposure.

"We certainly understand the public's concerns about testing availability, and we are working with the county executives to set up testing options for our residents," Commissioner of Health Judith Persichilli said Sunday.

"I know all the actions being taken can cause concern, but that is all part of the public health response to reduce the impact on our state," Persichilli said. "As I said yesterday, we can expect cases in communities across the state to increase."

There have been more than 4,600 confirmed U.S. cases of the new coronavirus as of Tuesday morning according to Johns Hopkins University, which says the disease also has killed 85 people nationwide.

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WHAT IS COVID-19?

Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that include the common cold as well as much more serious diseases. The strain that emerged in China in late 2019, now called COVID-19, is related to others that have caused serious outbreaks in recent years, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the U.S. was on Jan. 21.

The disease, which apparently originated in animals, is now transferring from person to person, although the mechanism is not yet fully understood. Its symptoms include fever, coughing and shortness of breath, and many patients develop pneumonia. There is as yet no vaccine against COVID-19 it and no antiviral treatment.

According to the CDC, the best way of preventing the disease is to avoid close contact with people who are sick, to avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands, to wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and to use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol if soap and water are not available.

To avoid spreading any respiratory illness, the CDC recommends staying at home when you are sick, covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue and throwing the tissue in the trash, cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces.

The CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a face mask to protect themselves from respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19. You should only wear a mask if a health care professional recommends it. A face mask should be used by people who have COVID-19 and are showing symptoms. This is to protect others from the risk of getting infected. The use of face masks also is crucial for health workers and other people who are taking care of someone infected with COVID-19 in close settings (at home or in a health care facility).

Residents who have questions about the virus can contact the state of New Jersey's hotline at 1 (800) 222-1222. The hotline is home of the New Jersey Poison Information and Education System, and is staffed 24 hours a day by state health workers.

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