Parent's Guide to Fentanyl: This comprehensive guide equips parents with valuable information, including tips, warning signs, and helpful videos/articles. It empowers parents to protect their children from the dangers of fentanyl and make informed decisions regarding substance use.

Protecting Children From Online Drug Dealers: This resource provides essential tools to safeguard children, including the "Emoji code" to identify online drug dealing, insights into the dark web, and other online safety measures.

9/15/23 New Jersey Departments of Health and Environmental Protection Urge Residents to Take Precautions Against West Nile Virus - https://www.nj.gov/health/news/2023/approved/20230915a.shtml?fbclid=IwAR3uGlKuNwqUbjBvQY5_wPwA-Ik4NFyLeZN9ngHoUvhcMwAxbmaZb6afdvA

Frequently Asked Questions - https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/documents/faq/wnv_faq.pdf

Mosquito-borne Disease Brochure - https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/documents/topics/vectorborne/mosquito_brochure_english.pdf

Permethrin Flyer -https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/documents/topics/vectorborne/permethrin.pdf

Don’t Grow Mosquitoes - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMJm2psraWo&feature=youtu.be

Fight the Bite: Protect Yourself from Mosquitoes - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOVNc6HgPt8&feature=youtu.be

West Nile Virus - https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/westnile.shtml

Beginning September 25, every U.S. household can again place an order to receive four more free COVID-19 rapid tests delivered directly to their home. To order more, visit https://www.covid.gov/tests.

Before You Throw Out "Expired" Tests: Check to see if your COVID-19 tests' expiration dates have been extended at https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/coronavirus-covid-19-and-medical-devices/home-otc-covid-19-diagnostic-tests#list

PUBLIC HEALTH ADVISORY

A heat advisory is expected for Thursday, July 27 through Saturday, July 29, 2023 with heat indices forecasted to reach excessive heat levels up to 103 or higher on Friday. 

Health Advisory on HRI:

Preventing Heat-related Illness (HRI)

Prevenir la insolación

NJ Prevent Heat Related Illness

TICK-BORNE DISEASES:

• How to Avoid Tick Bites - https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/documents/topics/vectorborne/avoid_tick_bites.pdf
• How to Remove a Tick - https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/documents/topics/vectorborne/remove_tick_021518.pdf
• Tick-Borne Diseases Brochure - https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/documents/topics/vectorborne/tick_brochure_english.pdf and https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/documents/topics/vectorborne/tick_brochure_spanish.pdf

MOSQUITO-BORNE DISEASES:

• Mosquito-Borne Diseases Brochure - https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/documents/topics/vectorborne/mosquito_brochure_english.pdf and https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/documents/topics/vectorborne/C2678--Mosquito-borne%20Diseases%20Brochure-SPA-without%20crop%20marks.pdf
• Fight the Bite: Protect Yourself from Mosquitoes - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOVNc6HgPt8
• Mosquito-Proof Your Yard: Habitat Checklist - https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/documents/Mosquito-Proof%20Your%20Yard.pdf

WATERBORNE ILLNESS:

• Let’s Make a Healthy Splash flyer - Make A Healthy Splash (cdc.gov)

CDC.gov Homepage for Measles

NJ Department of Health Vaccine Preventable Disease Program for Measles

Measles Guidance for Schools

Measles FAQs

Measles Resources for Parents

Monkeypox Information on the NJ.gov website: https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/monkeypox.shtml

More Resources:

Monkeypox FAQ

Monkeypox Key Facts PDF

Monkeypox Key Facts PDF (Spanish)

Monkeypox Facts for People Who are Sexually Active (cdc.gov)

All residential households in the United States are now eligible for an additional order of free at-home COVID-19 test kits through the United State Postal Service (USPS). Please note the following:

Each order now includes eight (8) rapid antigen COVID-19 tests.
Your order of eight (8) tests will come in two (2) separate packages, with four (4) tests per package. Each package will have its own tracking number.
Packages will ship free through USPS.
 
Order your tests here: https://special.usps.com/testkits 

The link to COVID-19 vaccine registration is currently closed.  

Please call the Village of Ridgewood Health Department at 201-670-5500 ext. 2312 if you are seeking a bivalent booster.

Visit the following sites to find vaccine sites near you. 

*NJ Vaccine Appointment Finder

*Vaccines.gov - Search for COVID-19 vaccine locations 

Please see the flyer below if you are looking for a COVID-19 Vaccine or for local COVID-19 Testing.

• COVID-19 Resources: We have heard from many folks asking if we know of any resources for COVID-19 preparedness and response. Here are some resources that may be helpful.
  • General Information
    • CDC’s COVID-19 website(many resources: basic information about COVID-19, including how it spreads; situation updates; information for specific audiences: communities, schools, businesses, healthcare professions, health departments, travel, laboratories)
    • FDA’s COVID-19 website (continuously updated)
    • FSIS’s COVID-19 website
    • DHS’ COVID-19 website
    • State Department Travel Advisories
    • Getting Your Workplace Ready for COVID-19  (World Health Organization)
    • Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers (CDC)
    • Ridgewood Public Library COVID-19 Resources (Testing locations, at-home test kit resources, booster shot info, flu vaccinations, vaccination records, and current public guidelines)
  • Resources from the Food Industry
    • COVID-19 Resources for the Food Industry (The Acheson Group)
    • Coronavirus: Fresh Produce Industry Resources (United Fresh Produce Association)
    • Coronavirus Resources (Food Marketing Institute), includes: Preparedness Checklist; Coronavirus and Pandemic Preparedness for the Food Industry (member only resource; includes recommendations for supporting consumers, associates, human resources, retail stores, distribution centers/transportation, product suppliers, and interacting with the media).
    • Tips for Restaurants (National Restaurant Association, via AFDO)
  • Food Safety
    • FDA has added food-specific FAQs to its website (continuously updated site), including:
      • Q: Is food imported to the United States from China and other countries affected by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), at risk of spreading COVID-19?
      • Q: Are food products produced in the United States a risk for the spread of COVID-19?
      • Q: Can I get sick with COVID-19 from touching food, the food packaging, or food contact surfaces, if the coronavirus was present on it?
      • Q: Can I get COVID-19 from a food worker handling my food?
      • Q: Should food workers who are ill stay home?
      • Q: Should food facilities (grocery stores, manufacturing facilities, restaurants, etc.) perform any special cleaning or sanitation procedures for COVID-19?
      • Q: Since restaurant workers and other service industry employees have ongoing contact with the public, are there any special precautions these workers should take to avoid becoming sick with a respiratory illness, such as wearing masks?
    • Detection of COVID-19 in stool and importance of hand hygiene: There are published articles in several journals (one example: CDC Emerging Infectious Diseases (Journal): Detection of Novel Coronavirus by RT-PCR in Stool Specimen from Asymptomatic Child, China) that talk about detection of COVID-19 in stool of infected patients and raise the possibility of stool as a vehicle for virus transmission. In one article (Gastroenterology Journal), stool was positive for COVID-19 after viral clearance in the respiratory tract. CDC’s website Water Transmission and COVID-19 talks about how COVID-19 has been detected in stool, but how many other important aspects are unknown: how much virus is shed in stool, how long the virus is shed, and whether virus shed in stool is infectious. The site also states: “The risk of transmission of COVID-19 from the feces of an infected person is also unknown”. All of this underscores the importance of existing guidance for ill persons (including food workers) to stay home while ill, and for everyone to follow good hand hygiene practices.
    • CDC Emerging Infectious Diseases (Journal): Detection of Novel Coronavirus by RT-PCR in Stool Specimen from Asymptomatic Child, China; this is one of several articles that talks about the ability to detect COVID-19
    • AFDO Coronavirus Website – Resources
    • Food Safety Magazine: Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) and Food Safety: A Time for Facts, Not Panic
    • Food and Environmental Virology (Journal): Survival of Respiratory Viruses on Fresh Produce
    • Food Safety Authority of Ireland’s COVID-19 website: includes advice for food workers

• Food Safety and the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Questions & Answers
• Guidance for Industry: Temporary Policy Regarding Preventive Controls and FSVP Food Supplier Verification Onsite Audit Requirements During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency
• FDA’s Food and Cosmetics Information Center

Avoiding Mosquitoes
West Nile Virus FAQ's
Bergen Bites Back

This program is designed to check on the well being of Bergen County residents living alone, over the age of 60, homebound, or disabled. The program is handled through the county's Reverse 911 System. Residents in the program will receive a phone call on predetermined days and times. A prerecorded message will advise participants to press a code that will indicate the participant is okay. The system also is installed with a busy/no answer call back feature. Residents must provide primary and secondary emergency contacts during the registration process. The system will respond only to touchtone telephones or through a Text Telephone (TTY). In order to register for the program, qualified residents should call the Bergen County Dept. of Human Services at 201/336-7400 to request an application. A brochure and sample application is available by clicking on the links below.

Bergen County Wellness Check Program Information

Ridgewood homes constructed prior to 1978 have been exposed to lead based paint. If you are planning on removing exterior paint or interior paint, click here to learn more.