Key Survey Updates:
Beginning on October 17, 2022:
(1) Updates to
the definition of ‘Expired’ will be added to the daily COVID-19 Facility Outbreak
Reporting Survey.
(2)
Facilities
completing the Active Surveillance Survey will report the number of new
staff cases identified to align with updated COVID-19 outbreak definitions and
reporting thresholds.
(3)
Vaccination
coverage questions in both the Outbreak Reporting Survey and the Active
Surveillance Survey will be updated to include coverage with the September 2022
bivalent COVID-19 booster and seasonal influenza vaccine. Information on
monovalent COVID-19 booster administration will no longer be required.
Action Items:
(1)
LTCF and other post-acute care facility
administrators should review the attached changes to prepare for an updated daily survey
format on October 17, 2022. Changes will be made to both the Outbreak Reporting
Survey and the Active Surveillance Survey and therefore will affect all enrolled
facilities.
(2)
LHDs should share this message with facility
contacts in your jurisdiction if they are currently reporting daily updates via
the COVID-19 Facility Outbreak Reporting Survey (facilities with open COVID-19 outbreaks
and investigations designated with an E# or I#) or the Active Surveillance
Survey (completed by facilities not currently experiencing an outbreak of
COVID-19). Existing facility contacts will also receive an email from CDS with detailed instructions on completion of the survey.
If facilities or LHDs have technical questions regarding the survey, they may email NJBTSurveillance@doh.nj.gov.
Data reported through the survey will continue to be used to update the New Jersey COVID-19 Outbreaks in Long-Term Care Facilities dashboard which can be found here. This dashboard will be updated every Wednesday.
This information has been broadcast to: Long-term Care; Health Care Facilities / Other; Local Boards of Health; NJDOH Staff; NJLINCS and Local Contacts; NJLINCS Community