N.J. pandemic preparedness task force launches website tracking progress since COVID-19, officials say
TRENTON, N.J. — New Jersey’s Task Force on Pandemic and Emergency Preparedness has launched a public website to track the state’s progress in strengthening its ability to prevent and respond to health-related emergencies, building on recommendations from an independent review of the state’s COVID-19 response, officials said.
The website is intended to provide updates on what officials described as a “whole-of-government” effort to improve readiness for future health threats and emergencies. It can be found at nj.gov/health/preparedness, officials said.
“The COVID-19 pandemic brought tremendous loss and hardship to our state, but it also revealed the resilience and ingenuity of our communities,” said Acting New Jersey Health Commissioner Jeff Brown. “We owe it to the families who lost loved ones, to the public health and health care workers who gave everything they had, and to all New Jerseyans to carry those hard-earned lessons forward. The work of this task force is our promise that we will learn from this historic event, and the tracking website represents our commitment to transparency and accountability.”
“The launch of this website reflects our commitment to transparency, coordination, and accountability as we strengthen our preparedness for future public health emergencies. By objectively reviewing the lessons learned from the COVID-19 response, we are better prepared to prevent, respond to, and recover from future public health threats,” said Lieutenant Colonel David Sierotowicz, Acting State Director of Emergency Management and Acting Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police. ”This effort is a testament to our responsibility to serve the residents of New Jersey with clarity, coordination, and readiness when it matters most.”
Officials said the site highlights progress made since the pandemic, which they described as having a devastating impact on New Jersey, and outlines ongoing work stemming from the Independent Review of New Jersey’s Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, released in March 2024. The state commissioned the review to preserve lessons learned and strengthen preparedness for future administrations, officials said.
After the review was released, officials said Gov. Phil Murphy signed Executive Order 356 creating the Task Force on Pandemic and Emergency Preparedness. The task force, co-chaired by the health commissioner and the superintendent of state police, was formed to evaluate the review’s recommendations, guide implementation and advise the governor, officials said.
The website details a range of focus areas, officials said, including health and emergency planning, training and continuity planning, equity and public health resiliency, reforms in congregate settings, partnerships with agencies and community organizations, improvements in data and technology infrastructure, and maintaining access to critical resources for emergency response.
Among milestones cited by officials: the Strategic State Stockpile’s access to personal protective equipment and medical supplies; an expansion of wastewater surveillance sites from eight before the pandemic to 23, tracking pathogens including SARS-CoV-2 and influenza; and the implementation of electronic case reporting to transmit information from health care providers’ electronic records to public health databases.
Officials also cited steps related to workforce policies, including a proposed civil service rule intended to sustain hybrid telework, and the creation of an interagency vaccine workgroup aimed at preventing interruptions in vaccine access and coordinating state messaging.
Officials said the state remains focused on preparedness for future threats, including vaccine-preventable diseases, travel-related exposures, cyberattacks on critical health infrastructure and biological threats, and that the website will serve as a public tool for updates and resources.
