Governor Mikie Sherrill • Lt. Governor Dr. Dale G. Caldwell

Task Force on Pandemic and Emergency Preparedness

Collage of images of emergency response personell in response situations

Introduction

The State of New Jersey is committed to applying the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic response to better prevent and respond to future health emergencies.  

The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound and devasting impact on New Jersey—tens of thousands of lives lost, millions of people experiencing sickness, disproportionate impacts on vulnerable residents, unprecedented disruptions to work and schooling. Paired with gaps in federal and international guidance, New Jersey’s interconnectedness—including our geographical location, density, and intergenerational households—yielded a hard and fast first wave of the pandemic and significant constraints to containing the virus’ spread.

Against these unprecedented challenges, New Jersey mounted a whole-of-government response—from fully vaccinating 4.7 million individuals who live, work, or study in New Jersey in under six months to modernizing and scaling government services to address historic need. COVID-19 tested and stretched the resilience of government institutions and emergency response protocols. The State continues to address the longtail of the COVID-19 pandemic through a focus on strengthening youth mental health, advancing health equity, and improving the quality of congregate care.

As part of preserving the knowledge gained during the COVID-19 response, the State of New Jersey commissioned and participated in the “Independent Review of New Jersey’s Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic,” the nation’s first and most comprehensive after-action review of a State’s COVID-19 response. Since then, through agency activities and coordinated through the Task Force on Pandemic and Emergency Preparedness, the State is implementing recommendations outlined in the independent review, other related Task Forces, and emerging best practices.

While the COVID-19 pandemic was the most significant health crisis in New Jersey’s modern history, it is neither the only nor the last. New Jersey remains vigilant against concerns like vaccine-preventable diseases, travel-related exposures, cyber attacks on critical health infrastructure, and biological threats. Practices and learnings embedded from the COVID-19 response empower the State to anticipate and confront new and evolving health challenges.

Focus Areas

This website provides information about how New Jersey has strengthened its capacities to prepare for and respond to health emergencies that impact the state. Key focuses include:

Health and Emergency Planning

Update preparedness plans statewide to reflect lessons learned and prepare for a broad range of emergencies

Training and Preparation

Implement consistent training for emergency response staff and leaders across state agencies

Equity and Public Health Resiliency

Strengthen health care systems and community infrastructure to better serve vulnerable populations

Congregate Settings

Improve infection control, staffing, and oversight in long-term care and other congregate living environments

Partnerships with Industries, Community Groups, and Other Stakeholders across New Jersey

Establish and maintain collaborative networks to enhance health preparedness and emergency response coordination

Data & Technology Infrastructure

Modernize systems to ensure timely, secure, and coordinated information sharing to follow data to action

Access to Critical Resources for the Emergency Response

Streamline systems to ensure timely procurement and distribution of essential supplies

Resource Directory

Retain dashboards, documents, and tools to track disease progression and inform future responses

This website is meant to serve as a repository for these improvements where you can find references to relevant dashboards, legislation, policies, and other materials that showcase the extensive work the state has done to improve emergency response readiness.