Community Corner

South Brunswick OEM Will Resume COVID Updates As Cases Rise In NJ

"We anticipate challenging days, but by keeping informed we will get through it," OEM Director and Police Chief Raymond Hayducka said.

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ — As COVID-19 cases spike across New Jersey, the South Brunswick Office of Emergency Management (OEM) will resume its regular COVID-19 updates.

“We want people to be prepared, not panicked,” OEM Director and Police Chief Raymond Hayducka said. “We are not back in March of 2020 and starting all over again. We know more and can do more this time. We need to take reasonable precautions in the coming days to minimize the impact of the Omicron.”

According to the CDC, omicron accounts for about 75 percent of new cases in the U.S., and national health officials believe cases will dramatically increase over the next month. Omicron cases may cause a large increase in people seeking treatment that will nonetheless overwhelm hospitals, the OEM said. Currently, 2,100 people are hospitalized in New Jersey.

Find out what's happening in South Brunswickfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

“We will continue to send out the most accurate local information we receive. We anticipate challenging days, but by keeping informed we will get through it,” Hayducka said.

South Brunswick OEM will use Nixle and Twitter account @SoBrunswickPD to provide information on the Omicron spread and its local impact.

Find out what's happening in South Brunswickfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

The OEM has shared some guidance to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

  • Stay Home if You Are Sick: As Christmas approaches do not go to events or family gatherings if you are ill. Here is the link for NJ State Covid testing information - https://covid19.nj.gov/pages/testing Ridgewood Labs is conducting testing in the parking lot on Route 27 / Finnegans Lane.
  • Maximize Protection: Get vaccinated and a booster shot. Vaccines continue to show great strength against COVID-related hospitalizations and deaths. Here is the link for NJ State Covid testing information https://covid19.nj.gov/pages/vaccine.
  • Wear Masks: While there is no State mask mandate, mask-wearing, especially indoors is the smart thing to do. If you are passing through an airport or train station this season, you are undoubtedly being exposed to someone with omicron at this point. Wearing an N95 mask indoors provides the best protection.

Thank you for reading. Have a correction or news tip? Email sarah.salvadore@patch.com

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