CUMBERLAND COUNTY, NJ (10/22/2014) – The Ebola virus outbreak has received quite a lot of media attention to date with its entrance into the United States. In a society that relies on huge amounts of social media and instantaneous news, we have received daily, even hourly, updates on the situation. The Cumberland County Health Department realizes that although our risk for having a widespread outbreak is low, we do need to be fully prepared for any event.
On October 16, the Cumberland County Health Department held a meeting on Ebola Preparedness Planning that was attended by multiple agencies. Representatives from the Office of Emergency Management, Emergency Medical Services, Inspira, the Medical Examiner’s Office, Sheriff’s Office, Prosecutor’s Office, Vineland Health Department, Cumberland County Human Services and Mental Health Office, the NJ Department of Health, Red Cross, Regional Emergency Medical Services Taskforce, Regional MCC and County Administration were all in attendance. Salem and Gloucester County also had representatives from some of the same agencies as well.
Each agency spoke briefly about their planning efforts, and collaborations were made between agencies concerning personnel, equipment, and communication. “While each agency may play a different role in the event of an emergency, there are obvious intersections and we need to ensure everyone is on the same page. We want the citizens of Cumberland County and New Jersey to know that public health preparedness and safety is a top priority,” states Megan Sheppard, Health Officer of the Cumberland County Health Department.
If you have any questions or concerns about the Ebola virus, please call the Cumberland County Health Department at (856) 327-7602. If you are a healthcare agency in Cumberland County, please call or email us at lincs@ccdoh.org to register your agency to receive updates and healthcare guidance documents.