East Brunswick Mayor Urges Murphy To Vaccinate Teachers

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ — East Brunswick Mayor Brad Cohen said that he sent a letter to Gov. Phil Murphy, urging him to add teachers and school staff to the COVID vaccine priority list.

“I want to go on record and say I have actually sent a letter and spoken to the governor asking that he open up vaccinations to teachers and staff,” Cohen said during the town council meeting held on Monday.

Although East Brunswick reopened schools for in-person learning in the hybrid track, many teachers and staff are apprehensive to return because they feel unable to provide a safe environment for students due to the coronavirus.

Cohen said receiving the COVID-19 vaccine would make teachers and staff “comfortable going back and providing an environment of in-person learning that our students so desperately need.”

The mayor said he hoped state authorities would “move on that fairly soon.”

He said he was also contacting all state representatives to act on “our behalf” and try to get teachers the vaccines.

Cohen said he believed that schools need to open as it was causing a lot of “potential” damage to the mental, physical and educational well-being of students.

“We are a state known for its top educational system. We have the best public school systems in the country. And I certainly don’t want to fall behind that,” he said.

At the same time he acknowledged the reluctance of staff to go back to school buildings because they’ve not been vaccinated.

“I don’t think there a safe way we can get to schools fully opened and back to a way of life we were used to until we have our teachers and faculty vaccinated,” he said.

Meanwhile, the mayor said his office has been receiving “nasty letters” from a few residents asking why the township couldn’t get them an appointment at the local vaccine site since they were paying “high taxes.”

“The township has zero control over the state site and the county sites, even though one of it is operated in town,” he said.

Cohen said the county receives only 2000 vaccines a week, and with six local sites, it has caused a backlog.

He said the county has merged its registration portal with that of the state and anyone who wishes to get a vaccine, need to register through the state.

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