Helping a community navigate historical concerns A vaccination event at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago (Photo by Kamil Krzaczynski / Reuters)
For many, the isolation, grief, and anxiety of the COVID-19 pandemic seem to be nearing an end. Three vaccines have been tested and approved and are now being widely distributed. Vaccine hesitancy, however, remains an issue and in the African American community in particular. In a November survey by the Pew Research Center, only 42 percent of Black respondents said they were likely to get vaccinated, compared to 60 percent of respondents overall.
Heeding the call to care for their flock, Black churches have been working hard to address the concerns of community members. In February, another Pew survey found that the number of overall respondents who plan to get vaccinated (or already have) went from 60 to 69 percent and that the number of Black respondents went from 42 percent all the way to 61 percent.
Burlington County Government: Burlington County Health Director Responds To Uptick In COVID-19 Risk
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Authorities in Burlington County have arrested a woman who they say impersonated a public official and threatened to shut-down a business over COVID-19 concerns.
What the woman in question was trying to accomplish is still being determined, but Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina says Jennifer Strumph of Evesham has been charged with Computer Crime (second degree), Criminal Coercion with Intent to Harm Reputation (third degree), and Assuming a False Identity (third degree). She was taken into custody on March 4th and released following a court appearance.
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Coffina s office says an investigation began last year when Strumph contacted a local plumbing business and pretended to be a contact tracer with the Burlington County Health Department. He says, The business owner subsequently paid employees more than $5,100 in overtime to comply with the requirements set forth by Strumph, who also created a fictitious email address to help make the impersonation
Woman impersonated contact tracer, attempted to shut down N.J. business, authorities say
Updated Mar 10, 2021;
A woman pretending to be a contact tracer reached out to an Evesham Township plumber and threatened to shut down the business by falsely claiming it had not followed coronavirus isolation and cleaning protocols, authorities said.
Jennifer Strumph, 32, of Evesham Township, was charged March 4 with computer crime, criminal coercion with intent to harm reputation and assuming a false identity, according to a joint statement from the Evesham Township Police and the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office.
An investigation that was launched late last year allegedly revealed that Strumph had contacted the unidentified business and impersonated a Burlington County Health Department contact tracer, the office said. She created a fake email address to make her impersonation believable, the office said.
Burlington County forms team to review overdose deaths
MOUNT HOLLY Burlington County officials are forming a team of experts to better understand the circumstances surrounding overdose deaths.
The Overdoses Fatality Review Team will perform confidential reviews of overdose deaths in the county, and use data to identify where the county can better direct resources to prevent future overdoses.
According to state data, 164 people died from suspected drug overdoses in Burlington County in 2019, and another 149 died from suspected overdoses last year.
“By taking a hard look at these unique lives and the circumstances surrounding their addiction and death, we hope to better understand the epidemic here and come up with better ways to fight it. Our main goals are to save lives and help beat addiction, said Burlington County Board of Commissioners Director Felicia Hopson.
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