Monmouth County: The Place You Want To Be

Monmouth County Health Department Newsletter: May 2022

Monmouth County, New Jersey sent this bulletin at 05/02/2022 07:30 AM EDT

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May 2022

May 2022 Newsletter

The Monmouth County Health Department strives to provide up-to-date information in our newsletter, website and mobile app available on Apple and Android devices. We encourage you to check our website often for the latest information, including COVID-19 clinics and vaccine availability.

Monmouth County Welcomes Ocean Township

The Monmouth County Health Department (MCHD) is pleased to welcome Ocean Township to the MCHD system. Ocean Township is the 31st member town to join the Monmouth County Board of Health! Borough residents have full access to the wide array of services our Department provides. Please feel free to visit our Directory of Services for details.

Monmouth County Health Department App

MCHD recently launched its new app which provides residents and visitors to Monmouth County real-time news and information about services available through the County Health Department.

Users will have access to up-to-date information on our services and programs, including news, clinics and events, clinical and preventative health services, consumer and environmental health resources, emergency preparedness, mosquito control and much, much more.

New Jersey is "Getting Past Plastic"

Starting May 4, New Jersey retail stores, grocery stores and food service businesses may not provide or sell single-use plastic carryout bags and polystyrene foam food service products. Single-use paper carryout bags are allowed to be provided or sold, except by grocery stores equal to or larger than 2500 square feet, which may only provide or sell reusable carryout bags. After November 4, 2021, plastic straws may be provided only upon the request of the customer.

Complete information is available through the NJ Department of Environmental Protection website.

Graphic excerpted from NJDEP

MCHD Testing and Vaccine Clinics

COVID-19 vaccines are now widely available for people five years and older. All COVID-19 vaccines are safe, effective and reduce the risk of severe illness.

COVID-19 vaccinations are available every Tuesday from 2-6 p.m. at Brookdale Community College, 765 Newman Springs Rd., Lincroft 07738, Children's Learning Center (CLC) Parking Lots 4 & 5

MCHD offers testing and vaccinations monthly at the following sites:

First Wednesday of every month: Asbury Park Transportation Center, 1 Municipal Plaza.
Second Tuesday of every month: Freehold Borough Fire Department, 49 W. Main St.
Third Wednesday of every month: Neptune Senior Center, 1607 Rt # 33.
Fourth Wednesday of every month: Howell Senior Center, 251 Preventorium Rd.

Additional clinics will be scheduled at MCHD member town sites. When these clinics are scheduled, MCHD will post them on our website and the MCHD Mobile App.

The New Jersey Department of Health and Vault Medical Services have teamed up to offer free at-home COVID-19 saliva testing for any person who believes they need to be tested, with or without symptoms. Follow this link for more information.

Cooperative Coastal Monitoring Program

The MCHD will begin our weekly beach water quality sampling program from May 23 through Sept. 12. 49 guarded beaches in the County's coastal region are monitored to assure safe levels of Enterococcus bacteria in coastal waters. Other potential hazards, such as medical waste and algae blooms, are also monitored during the course of the season to ensure public safety. In 2021, The MCHD collected over 1,000 bathing water samples. Sample results can be found at www.njbeaches.org.

Greener Blue Pump Out Boat

The 2022 season for the Greener Blue Pump Out Boat will begin Saturday, May 21. We will also be operating on the holiday weekends of Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day. We look forward to providing this free service to you this summer! To reach the Greener Blue, please call 732-890-6142 or on VHF Channel 9.

Since 2001 the MCHD has operated a pump out boat on the Navesink and Shrewsbury Rivers. Since 2015, our pump out boat has been operated by the NY/NJ Baykeeper organization through a cooperative agreement. The boat will be in service from May 21 through Oct. 10, on Fridays and Saturdays. The approximate hours of operation will be 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Service is available on the Navesink and Shrewsbury Rivers up to the Atlantic Highlands Marina.

Additional information is available here.

Septic System Operation & Maintenance

Homes served by individual sewage disposal systems, (Septic Systems), require their owners to be aware of and follow some basic operations and maintenance guidelines. New homeowners especially need to learn how to properly care for their systems to keep things in working order. The four most Important things a homeowner can do to protect a Septic System are:

Inspect the system regularly and pump the septic tank every three years.
Use water efficiently.
Don’t dispose of nonbiodegradable items or household hazardous wastes in sinks or toilets.
Protect drain field from tree roots and vehicle traffic.

More detailed information on septic system operation and maintenance is available by downloading “A Homeowners Guide to Septic Systems” provided by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection at: https://www.nj.gov/dep/dwq/pdf/septicmn.pdf . Homeowners with further questions can contact the MCHD at 732-431-7456.

Spring Cleanup for Mosquito and Tick Prevention

With the weather warming up, we all start thinking about being outside around the pool, barbeque, or firepit. Unfortunately, warm weather also brings back mosquitoes and ticks. Help make your outdoor life more enjoyable by removing any standing water that can support mosquito development. Clean gutters and birdbaths, dump pool covers, tarps, plant saucers and other containers. Tires outside are a favorite home for daytime biting mosquitoes, so make sure you bring tires inside or discard them. Help prevent tick bites by raking up any leaves that may still be on the ground. Do not rake them to your property edge as a thicker leaf litter layer makes a happy home for both rodents and ticks.

If you are experiencing a bad mosquito problem after your spring cleanup, call the Mosquito Control Division at 732-542-3630 for a free inspection.

May is also Tick-Borne Disease Awareness Month, as May and June are the peak season for lone star and black-legged (deer) tick nymphs and lone star adults. Nymphal ticks are very small and can carry disease. Because they are so hard to see and often go unnoticed for days, nymphs are thought to be the culprits that cause most cases of Lyme, Babesiosis, Anaplasmosis and Ehrlichiosis.

American dog tick adults are also out this time of year. These ticks occur in tall, unmown grass, such as meadows and woods edges. Keep in mind ticks are not only in the woods!

Remember these prevention tips to protect yourself from a tick-borne disease:

When heading outdoors (including your backyard) wear long pants, apply repellents and/or wear clothing treated with permethrin. Light-colored clothing can make ticks easier to spot.
While outdoors, stay in the center of trails and try to avoid brushing against vegetation or walking through tall grass.
When you return inside, remove outdoor clothes and dry them on high heat to kill ticks.
Showering promptly will remove crawling unattached ticks.
Do a thorough tick check. Pay attention to places where ticks can hide such as the scalp, armpits, groin and backs of the knees.
If you find an attached tick, remove it as soon as possible to minimize the chance of disease transmission.
Symptoms of a tick-borne disease include fever, headache, muscle and joint aches, and rash. If you develop any of these symptoms, please call your doctor.

If you happen to find a tick on you or a loved one, you can bring it to the Mosquito Control Division for a free identification report. The Mosquito Control Division is at 1901 Wayside Rd, Tinton Falls, NJ 07724. For more information, visit our website at www.visitmonmouth.com/mosquito.

Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program

Preventing lead exposure from paint, drinking water and other sources continues to be a priority of the MCHD Childhood Lead Program. MCHD consults and coordinates with other health departments in several jurisdictions, assisting in lead cases, identifying possible alternative sources of lead and testing consumer goods. Additionally, all children under the age of six should receive a blood lead screening as part of their pediatric care. We can assist you in obtaining a blood lead screening for your children.