This morning, Governor Murphy was joined by Johnson & Johnson CEO Alex Gorsky, Department of Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli, Union City Mayor and State Senator Brian Stack, and Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise to observe Union City senior citizens who were among the first recipients of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in New Jersey. During this visit, the Governor announced 3,374 new positive cases and 35 deaths and that hospitalization numbers are continuing to decline. Positivity rate is at 6.2%, and the rate of transmission has slightly increased. The Governor mentioned that the State is identifying Brazilian, U.K., and New York variants among positive populations.
Governor Phil Murphy held a press conference Monday afternoon announcing that the Johnson & Johnson vaccination has officially been approved and is ready for use. NJ anticipated about 70,000 doses to be delivered this week. However, there is no clarity on what to expect in the next few weeks. CVS and RiteAid will receive an additional 22,500 doses through the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program.
This month the eligibility for vaccinations will be expanding as follows:
- March 15
- Pre-K through 12th-grade educations and support staff;
- Childcare workers in licensed and registered settings;
- Public and local transportation workers, including bus, taxi, rideshare, and airport employees; NJ TRANSIT workers; and Motor Vehicle Commission staff;
- Public safety workers who are not sworn law enforcement or fire professionals;
- Migrant farm workers;
- Members of tribal communities;
- Individuals experiencing homelessness and those living in shelter, including domestic violence shelters.
- March 29th - frontline workers in the following categories:
- Food production, agriculture and food distribution;
- Eldercare and support;
- Warehousing and logistics;
- Social services support staff;
- Elections personnel;
- Hospitality;
- Medical supply chain;
- Postal and shipping services;
- Clergy; and
- Judicial system.
More information on this expansion will be released soon. Read More Here.
All residents age 75 and over will be receiving outreach via telephone to help assist with registering and scheduling appointments for vaccinations as they are a vulnerable population and may have limited access to the internet.
Each mega site in NJ is properly stocked daily for those with scheduled appointments. The Governor advised to arrive 15 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment time, but please do not arrive hours in advance or without a scheduled appointment.
The Department of Health Commissioner, Judy Persichilli, advised that types of vaccinations should not be compared to one another as they did not undergo the same trials, people and timelines. She highlighted that all vaccinations are effective in preventing severe illness, hospitalization and death.
Governor Murphy announced that sleepaway camps will be permitted to safely resume their operations this summer, after being suspended during the summer of 2020. He also announced that he will be signing an Executive Order allowing wedding receptions to proceed at 35% of a venues indoor capacity, up to 150 persons with the same cap on outdoor receptions. This order will took effect today at 6am. Governor Murphy mentioned that he would like to increase capacities for restaurants, but because of the variants they are more hesitant to take any action at this time.
The digital divide has been closed from the initial estimate of 231,000 students without internet or device access to 39 students today. As of today, there are 900,000 students learning either in their classrooms for all-day in-person instruction or on a hybrid schedule.
