This week’s COVID-19 news from Trenton: Governor Phil Murphy along with Acting Commissioner of Education Angelica Allen-McMillan released a plan on the learning gap. Vaccination deliveries have been delayed due to weather but it is anticipated that the vaccines will be delivered early next week in addition to next week’s allotment. An Executive Order extending the Public Health Emergency has been issued.
For February 19, 2021:
· 2,669 new positive cases for a total of 678,306 confirmed cases
· 64 new confirmed deaths for a total of 24,495 confirmed deaths
· The rate of transmission is at 0.91
· 686 cases linked to 144 school outbreaks since August
· 1,559,569 vaccine doses have been administered, including 1,102,687 first doses and 456,045 second doses. 55% have been Moderna and 45% Pfizer.
Vaccine Information
The state hotline 855-568-0545 continues to assist residents, with live agents from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., in getting information on how to register, as well as how to schedule vaccine appointments as people become eligible. The agents remind residents that there is no out of pocket expense to get vaccinated and that the two vaccines are not interchangeable.
The state continues to encourage the general public to pre-register for eligibility for the vaccine online. Individuals will be permitted to input their personal, contact, health insurance, and demographic information. Those who are immediately eligible based on screening questions will be able to schedule an appointment.
Executive Orders
Executive Order 222: extends the Public Health Emergency an additional 30 days. Governor Murphy noted that “extending the public health emergency allows the Department of Health to continue its vaccination efforts, including prioritizing high-risk individuals, promoting adequate staffing at vaccination sites, and overseeing second dose administration.”
Unemployment Information
The Department of Labor announced for the week ending February 13 the initial weekly unemployment claims total 11,563, a 29% decrease from last week and the lowest number of new initial claims since mid-March of last year.
Contact: Lori Buckelew, Assistant Executive Director, lbuckelew@njlm.org, 609-695-3481 x112.