Official Site of The State of New Jersey

In March 2024, Governor Phil Murphy signed Executive Order No. 356, establishing the Task Force on Pandemic and Emergency Preparedness. The Task Force is responsible for (1) evaluating the recommendations contained in the Independent Review of New Jersey’s Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic to determine which recommendations can appropriately be implemented under current law, (2) providing guidance on implementation of those recommendations by Executive Branch departments and agencies, and (3) making recommendations to the Governor concerning the report’s other conclusions.

The Independent Review of New Jersey’s Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic is the nation’s first and most comprehensive after-action review of a State’s COVID-19 response. Chapter 7 of this report highlights primary recommendations across state government for statewide response, and Chapter 6 focuses on recommendations for specific congregate settings (long-term care facilities, veteran’s homes, correctional settings, and State developmental centers).

The work associated with this Task Force helps embed best practices and lessons learned from the COVID-19 response, and will help ready the State for future public health threats and other disasters and emergencies. As highlighted in the Independent Review, a core goal of the Task Force is to enhance and improve emergency preparedness across the state. This website provides information about the Task Force’s composition and the progress that the State has made to improve New Jersey’s ability to prepare for and respond to health-related emergencies.

The Task Force is comprised of Cabinet members or their designated representatives from 15 agencies and departments:

• Co-Chairs:
  • Commissioner of the Department of Health
  • Superintendent of State Police
• Members:
  • Commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs
  • Commissioner of the Department of Corrections
  • Commissioner of the Department of Education
  • Commissioner of the Department of Human Services
  • Commissioner of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development
  • Adjutant General and Commissioner of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs
  • Attorney General
  • State Treasurer
  • Chair and Chief Executive Officer of the Civil Service Commission
  • Chief Executive Officer of the Economic Development Authority
  • Director of the Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness
  • Chief Technology Officer
  • Executive Director of the Governor’s Disaster Recovery Office