Murphy Says Vaccination Supply To 'Explode' During Lakewood Visit

LAKEWOOD, NJ – Gov. Phil Murphy visited a Lakewood coronavirus vaccination center on Friday as he continues to stress the needs to get shots into the arms of local residents while promising that more doses of the vaccines are on the way to Ocean County and the rest of New Jersey by next month.

Murphy’s visit to the Center for Health Education, Medicine and Dentistry comes after multiple confirmed COVID-19 cases were reported Lakewood schools. At Ella G. Clarke Elementary School, at least eight cases have hospitalized four staff members since the beginning of the month. Lakewood Public Schools officials announced last week that the district is providing vaccinations to employees on Monday and that at least 350 people have signed up for the voluntary shots.

In remarks made at the event, Murphy expressed pleasure in President Joe Biden’s announcement Thursday that anyone who wants to get the vaccine should be able to sign up by May 1, according to reports. Murphy’s visit coincides with the one-year anniversary of the coronavirus crisis being deemed a pandemic by the World Health Organization.

Murphy’s visit to Ocean County comes at a time when vaccination appointments are completely booked at this time, according to local health officials. Vaccinations are currently available to any residents who are 65 or order, residents who work or volunteer in a healthcare setting, frontline first responders or those who are ages 16-64 with a chronic medical condition.

Officials announced that more than 22,000 vaccinations have been administered at the CHMED site, which is located off of Route 9 on Madison Avenue, where the site has also administered 11,000 rapid COVID-19 tests, the Asbury Park Press reported. County health officials anticipate being able to increase the number of people who can get shots at the location but cannot do so until more doses of the vaccines are made available.

Murphy said that his office has a great relationship with Ocean County officials as well as local religious and health leaders, the governor's office reported on Friday. He called Lakewood “one of the most important communities in our state” and praised the work going on at the Chemed facility.

"CHEMED has been a great player early on with testing and now with vaccines,” Murphy said, according to the pool coverage of his visit provided by Murphy's office. “You guys have been great partners and on behalf of the two of us we say thank you."

Murphy said he had not spoken with local school officials after the Lakewood Teachers Association said that district administrators had been cavalier when it came to the health of teachers and other school employees. The LTA’s president, Kimberlee Shaw, told Patch earlier this week that the district has put employees in harm’s way in keeping schools open for in-person learning five days a week since last fall. Murphy said that his office remains in “constant communication” with school officials, according to the Asbury Park Press.

Ocean County reported 252 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Friday along with 98 new probable causes, according to the New Jersey Department of Health. More than 54,700 county residents have tested positive for the coronavirus since the start of the pandemic while 1,780 people have died. The county wide death toll does not include 140 additional probable deaths.

Murphy said Friday that he anticipates to see moderate increases in doses to begin arriving to the state and to locations like Ocean County over the next few weeks. Murphy said that the supply of vaccinations will “explode” by early April.

During Friday's visit, Murphy met Chaim Kaweblum, a CHEMED pediatrician and survivor of COVID-19, who said he was grateful for the governor's visit to the site and Ocean County. Murphy also witnessed the vaccination of Lakewood Police Patrol Officer Stephanie Mahone, 32, who said that having the governor witnessing her vaccination was “intimidating” but helped her get distracted away from the needle.

After getting their vaccine, patients are guided to the waiting area where CHEMED staff monitors them for 15 minutes.

Among the people that Murphy met during Friday's visit to Lakewood, Kaweblum called the chance to visit with the governor "sentimental", according to coverage of the visit.

"I saw him giving eulogies for my friend and colleague Dr. (Harvey) Hirsch and to meet him, in the vaccination room, was very meaningful because we've gone through so much here in Lakewood."