Trenton Health Team Highlights Community Response to COVID-19
by Trenton, NJ — Recognizing that March 4, 2022 marks two years since New Jersey recorded its first case of COVID-19, Trenton Health Team is saluting our community partners in a retrospective highlighting Trenton’s unified response to the pandemic.
The retrospective, available on the THT website and in print, spotlights local artists and merchants, neighborhood leaders and social media influencers, who helped share critical health safety information.
The report includes photos reflecting collaboration among health care providers, public health officials and community members, including Trenton’s first walk-up COVID testing site in April 2020, free food distribution events, and events where free vaccines were provided.
“This Community Response to COVID-19 report offers an opportunity to reflect on our community’s experience,” said THT Executive Director Gregory Paulson. “Together, let’s look back at the challenges we’ve overcome, and also forward, with confidence in our shared strength. THT is so proud to be part of this resilient community.”
As one of four state Regional Health Hubs, Trenton Health Team played a unique role coordinating and facilitating health care and community responses as the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded.
THT partnered with the Trenton Public School District to ensure students and their families had access to timely and clear guidance on COVID mitigation strategies like masking and vaccines. We coordinated with health care providers and public health officials to establish walk-up sites for COVID-19 testing, and later, organized weekly walk-up sites in every city ward providing free vaccines and boosters.
The pandemic laid bare the impact of social conditions – such as access to transportation, employment opportunities, and healthy food options – on health and well-being. THT has been focused on providing our community equal access to COVID information, testing, treatment, vaccines and booster shots – as well as health care, healthy food and housing.
“Efforts to ensure health equity must continue,” Paulson noted. “And we know with our community’s help, they will.”
For a print copy, contact THT Director of Communications Michelle Ruess.
