REAGENT SHORTAGE- PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING ISSUES – 7/6/20
I have spoken this AM to the Department regarding the shortage of reagents, and how this is affecting the ability to test patients pre-op for ASCs.
Dr. Kirn who is the Director of Public Health Labs at the Department is involved.
Please let me know if you are having issues, and which labs this is affecting.
Q&A INFORMATION ON TRAVEL QUARANTINE- 7/6/20
The quarantine is voluntary, but compliance is expected. The facility will need to determine the if the surgery can or cannot wait. Employees may be exempted.
Critical Infrastructure Workers
Exceptions to the travel advisory are also permitted for individuals traveling to New Jersey from designated states who work in critical infrastructure, as defined by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. This would include, for example, health care workers and state and local law enforcement. The comprehensive list of critical infrastructure industries is available here:
https://www.cisa.gov/identifying-critical-infrastructure-during-covid-19
.
Critical Infrastructure workers who have had an exposure but remain asymptomatic should adhere to the screening, social distancing, and mitigation practices prior to and during their work shift, as outlined by the CDC.
Stefanie Mozgai, BA, RN, CPM
Assistant Commissioner
Department of Health
Health Facility Survey & Field Operations
I have been asked the following questions:
- If a patient comes from one of the states on the list of high number of cases, and it is not the 14 days, can they have surgery?
- Can a nurse or staff member who returns from one of the high risk areas work without being quarantined for the 14 days?
I checked with the state and the clinical person I spoke with stated that the quarantine is voluntary . This does not make sense for a surgical patient or a staff member. Who is going to make the decision – the facility, the Md or ???
YOU MAY DISCONTINUE NJAASC TESTING DATA COLLECTION – 7/6/20
With the advent of portal reporting, it is no longer necessary to fill out the NJAASC data reporting tool.
Per our suggestion, NJDOH has incorporated our categories of testing reporting in said portal.
This will allow them to run reports and have firsthand information about testing issues.
We appreciate the response from almost 200 centers as regards the data collection.
It was crucial in pushing testing from four to six days.
REFILLING CONTAINERS FROM INFECTION CONTROL – 7/6/20
THIS TEST IS ACCEPTABLE FOR PRE-OP TESTING – 7/6/20
Sent:
Monday, July 6, 2020 12:29 PM
This would be acceptable.
T2 Biosystems announces launch of COVID-19 diagnostic test
SOME ASPECTS OF PORTAL REPORTING SUSPENDED, FOR NOW – 7/6/20
When you did your first portal data drop today, you should have noticed that the cases total reporting was deleted.
The Department has suspended that reporting.
There was an almost hysterical hue and cry by some that this was confidential and proprietary information.
We of course do not agree with that assessment, but that is the ruling- for now.
Stay tuned.
