Local responses might be essential if the coronavirus (COVID-19) hits New Jersey hard. The League is committed to providing you with the best information and advice available. League Attorney Frank Marshall has analyzed your legal rights during a public health emergency in a post on our Town Crier blog. Amy Spiezio, Managing Editor of New Jersey Municipalities magazine, is curating a Coronavirus (COVID-19) webpage on our website. There, you will find links to the latest information posted by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the New Jersey Department of Health, the World Health Organization (WHO), and other trusted sources. The website includes reliable sources providing specific Guidance for Local Officials.
In addition to your efforts to protect the public, your first responders, and your workforce, you have to think about how your operations could be effected by staff shortages. You might also consider how you can ensure technological security if employees are required to work from home. Finally, you may need to protect yourself, your employees, and your citizens from any ‘disinformation campaigns’ that might arise on the internet. The Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has established a landing page, where information on management planning and response to the current coronavirus (COVID19) outbreak is being posted.
Over the next few days, and on an ongoing basis, CISA will be posting guidance for public and private employers focusing on the following four areas:
Workforce and citizens/clients/customers protection
Cybersecurity, including planning for remote work security (including firewalls, malware protection and network access protections) and guarding against phishing scams
Supply chain issues, crucially including personal protective equipment (PPE) for health care workers and first responders
Disinformation avoidance and response, including disinformation relating to elections and the availability of public services, as well as the importance of directing concerned parties to reliable sources, like the CDC
In addition, CISA is preparing a Pandemic Guide expected to be posted soon. That document will include important planning information, including assembling a response team, identifying essential personnel, clearly delineating areas of responsibility, and planning for staff shortages.
Relying on trusted sources, we will continue to update our COVID-19 webpage and will do our best to give you tools that you can use to better serve those who depend on you.
Contact: Michael F. Cerra, Assistant Executive Director, mcerra@njlm.org, 609-695-3481 x120.