Somerset County Government: Somerset County Partners With Schools To Protect Students, Staff Against COVID-19 During New Academic Year

Press release from the Somerset County Government:

08/26/2021 2:59 PM

SOMERVILLE, NJ – Somerset County’s Department of Health (SCDoH) today delivered the first of a dozen COVID-19 testing machines for local schools to the Franklin School District’s Elizabeth Avenue Middle School. In total, nine schools have responded to request the testing machines and kits, and delivery of the remaining systems will begin early next week.

“We’ve worked  with schools in Somerset County since May to provide tools needed for a safe, healthy, and successful school year as our children return to in-person learning in the face of the continued COVID-19 pandemic,” said Somerset County Commissioner Douglas Singleterry, liaison to the Department of Health. “We’ve partnered with more than a dozen schools to provide vaccinations for students 12 and older throughout the summer, and now with the delivery of these testing machines are adding another layer of protection for our children, teachers, and staff.”

As schools were planning last spring for the required in-person classrooms for the 2021-2022, the SCDoH decided to use part of its Enhanced Laboratory Capacity Grant from the NJ CARES Act to support them by purchasing testing machines and 100 test kits for County schools that requested them. The cost, in total approximately $125,000, will be completely borne by the grant and not by the schools or local property taxpayers.

Parents who would like to have their 12 and older children vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine, recently granted full approval by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), can come to the Somerset County Senior Wellness Center, 876 E Main Street in Bridgewater any Monday, Wednesday or Friday from 4:00-7:30 p.m. for a first or second dose.

All upcoming Somerset County clinics featuring Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson vaccines, are listed http://www.co.somerset.nj.us/vaxclinics. Clinics featuring Pfizer or Moderna will provide 3rd doses for immunocompromised residents of Somerset County who have completed courses with these vaccines. At this time the CDC has not approved additional doses for other residents, but when it is approved the SCDoH will roll out clinics to provide them.

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This press release was produced by the Somerset County Government. The views expressed here are the author’s own.