COVID-19 archive — Monmouth County, NJ preserving pandemic records

Everyone wants the coronavirus pandemic to be history. Monmouth County just wants to make sure the historic event — specifically, how governments responded — is never forgotten.

Monmouth County Clerk Christine Hanlon has announced the launch of a "COVID-19 Pandemic Archive," with the goal of collecting and preserving related government records from both municipal and county entities.

The pandemic will be of great interest to future historians, researchers, scientists, health and public policy experts, and government leaders, Hanlon said.

"It is critical that we take steps to secure these records, and Monmouth County will be at the forefront of this preservation effort," she said. "We don't want to wait 50 years and then say, whatever happened to all of those documents?"

COVID-19 has claimed the lives of more than 2,100 people in Monmouth County, according to New Jersey Department of Health data.

First wreaking havoc here in March 2020, the pandemic resulted in a statewide shutdown of schools, offices and businesses. By the end of 2020, officials were focused on distributing vaccinations to the most vulnerable residents, followed by the general public.

The gathered records will be included in the County Archives, a division of the Monmouth County Clerk's Office. The effort preserves and protects historical records, both paper and digital, of Monmouth County records.

"The COVID-19 pandemic changes lives worldwide and altered precedent for how government responds to crises," Hanlon said. "Regardless of any outcomes, we must preserve as much information as possible for future knowledge about this historic time period."

The county has designed a method for municipal governments to submit documents for preservation. The office can also handle paper submissions.

Hanlon said the county is reaching out to all 53 municipalities to request participation.

Dino Flammia is a reporter for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at dino.flammia@townsquaremedia.com

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