Basking Ridge COVID Updates: J&J Effects On Vaccine Distribution

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — Here are the latest coronavirus updates around Basking Ridge.

Cases and Vaccinations

Somerset County 40 new cases and no new COVID-19 deaths this past week in Bernards Township. Health officials have identified 1,390 infections and 47 deaths from the virus since the onset of the pandemic.

County-wide, officials have reported 22,648 cases and 708 COVID-19 deaths. The Bernards Township School District updates its COVID-19 dashboard daily.

The New Jersey Department of Health has logged 234,243 vaccine doses administered in Somerset County — an improvement of about 43,000 since Basking Ridge Patch's last update April 6.

Overall, New Jersey has tallied 5.73 million vaccine doses administered, including 2.33 million people fully vaccinated. New Jersey must fully inoculate 4.7 million people by the end of June to meet its goal of vaccinating 70 percent of adults in six months.

Recent Updates

• Somerset County Department of Health is suspending its use of the
  Johnson & Johnson one-shot COVID vaccine for all populations. No appointments, with the exception of homebound patients, will be canceled and the county will instead administer the Moderna vaccine. The county will wait for the J&J to come back online for homebound patients. MORE.
• However, the J&J pause won't delay vaccination inoculations from Atlantic Health Systems. The company is a major vaccine provider in the area, helping run the Morris County megasite and several other facilities. MORE.
• While no town in New Jersey has truly made out well during the
  coronavirus pandemic, Bernards Township was among the most successful municipalities in keeping its infection rates on the lower end. The township had the 105th lowest COVID-19 case rate among Garden State towns in 2020, according to new research. MORE.
• As of last week, 51 percent of people 65 and older in Somerset County have been fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control. MORE.
• The Bernards Township Library will allow people to enter without appointments starting Monday — a key step in its gradual reopening plan since closing during last year's coronavirus lockdown. MORE.

Here's what else you should know:

• Citing the continued threat of the COVID crisis in New Jersey, Gov. Phil
  Murphy has announced that the public health emergency initiated a year ago has again been extended another 30 days. MORE.
• The latest data shows New Jersey wedged inside a new COVID-19 hot zone,
  and it's currently ranked second in the U.S. in coronavirus cases per capita over the past week, according to the CDC. MORE.

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