NJ COVID-19 Vaccine Update: Travel Quarantine Could Change

NEW JERSEY – Gov. Phil Murphy says changing the state's travel quarantine is "under consideration" now that New Jersey plans to expand its vaccine availability.

Murphy, speaking with CNBC on Friday, was asked if travel rules could change for people who were vaccinated.

"That's something that's clearly under consideration," Murphy said. "That's something we're reviewing actively."

The state recently changed its quarantine guidance to align with the federal and CDC recommendations, shortening the quarantine time for those coming from outside New Jersey from 14 to 10 days.

The policy is applicable to those coming from all regions beyond New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Delaware. Read more: NJ Updates Quarantine Rules, Including For Travel: What To Know

Relaxing that policy could have a big impact on schools, many of whom are requiring students to quarantine if they leave the state on weekends or during spring break.

Murphy said the state will especially re-examine the issue since a number of additional people will become eligible in a little over a week.

The following become eligible March 29th:

• Food production, agriculture and food distribution (including grocery store and restaurant workers)
• Eldercare and support
• Warehousing and logistics
• Social services support staff
• Elections personnel
• Hospitality
• Medical supply chain
• Postal and shipping services
• Clergy
• Judicial system

Murphy said he still has concerns about allowing too much traffic into New Jersey since the state's weekday positivity rate of 7 percent is almost four times what it was last summer.

The state's new case numbers have "plateaued," he said, although New Jersey's daily numbers have recently hit their highest points in two months. On Saturday, 3,940 cases and 31 deaths were reported.

Murphy, saying those numbers are still "uncomfortably too high," said he's also concerned that the spread of COVID variants in New York City will have an impact on New Jersey.

"We're the densest state in the nation. We are right on top of the New York metro reality and, invariably, what hits them will hit us and vice-versa," he said.

Here are some other recent updates on getting the COVID-19 vaccine in New Jersey.

Who's Eligible

The following people are eligible for vaccinations in New Jersey as of Saturday:

• health care workers
• residents and workers in long-term-care of high-risk congregate care facilities
• first responders and public-safety workers, including sworn law enforcement and fire professionals
• people 65 or older
• people ages 16-65 with qualifying medical conditions that increase the risk of severe illness from the virus
• educators and staff from pre-K through 12th grade
• childcare workers in licensed and registered settings
• transportation workers
• additional people at high risk

Transportation workers, additional public-safety workers and other high-risk individuals will be able to get vaccinated starting March 15.

Back to Class?

As Murphy pushes schools to reopen, New Jersey's efforts to vaccinate school staff continue.

Murphy originally planned to open vaccine eligibility March 15th for teachers. But President Joe Biden urged state officials to move up the timeline, so Murphy made them eligible earlier this month.

Now Murphy is calling for schools to open for some form of in-person instruction by the end of the school year. He expects all schools to fully open this fall. Read more: Gov. Murphy: NJ Schools Should Move To Reopen 'Now' Amid COVID-19

For the second time, Rite Aid dedicated blocks of days for exclusively vaccinating teachers, school staff and licensed childcare program staff. Those vaccination days will occur this Friday and Saturday, along with March 26 and 27. Read more: Rite Aid To Exclusively Vaccinate NJ Educators On Select Days

Here's the state's current breakdown on the status of school districts, charter schools, renaissance schools and schools for students with disabilities:

• 142 are open for all in-person instruction
• 534 have opened for hybrid learning
• 37 use a combination of in-person, hybrid and all-remote learning across buildings
• 98 remain closed for all-remote learning

Where NJ Stands

The New Jersey Department of Health has logged 3,274,585 vaccine doses administered in New Jersey as of Thursday afternoon. State officials set a goal to fully inoculate 70 percent of New Jersey adults in six months — 4.7 million people by mid-June.

Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines each require two shots per person, while the Janssen vaccine only requires one dose. Moderna and Pfizer shots still make up the bulk of the state's vaccinations because of available supply — only 2 percent of vaccines administered so far come from the recently approved Janssen product.

That means New Jersey still needs to vaccinate an average of about 51,000 per day to meet its six-month goal. In order to match the required pace, the Garden State would need to have administered 4.85 million shots as of Friday (DATA EXPLAINED HERE).

New Jersey's vaccination efforts faced early struggles because of a combination of low supply, shipping difficulties associated with bad weather, state website issues and limitations, and logistical problems that make it difficult for the elderly to get vaccinated.

But the state has made up for some lost ground, now regularly meeting the daily pace necessary to meet the six-month goal. But it's not yet known how many New Jerseyans will have been vaccinated by June.

NJ and the USA

New Jersey ranks in the top half of states in terms of population share who have been fully vaccinated, according to NPR.

According to the data, 13.5 percent of New Jerseyans have been fully inoculated as of Friday morning, which ranks 19th in the United States. Alaska holds first place with 18.9 percent, while Utah placed last at 8.9 percent.

The Garden State ranks 10th with 26 percent of residents getting at least one shot. New Mexico tops the list at 30.6 percent, while Georgia ranks last at 16.7 percent.

Overall, New Jersey has outpaced the rest of the United States. Nationally, 22.7 percent of people have received at least one dose, while 12.3 percent are fully vaccinated, according to NPR.