Maplewood Clarifies Who Can Get COVID Vaccine First, And Next

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — The Township of Maplewood sent out guidance this week to clarify who is eligible for the COVID-vaccine right now and when the next phase will start.

Essential health care workers living in Essex County can currently sign up at a county site, while people over 75 and other essential workers may be included in the next phase.

The township's fact sheets note that 650,000 people are eligible for the current phase, 1A — which includes health care staffers and long-term care residents — so it may take time to transition to 1B, which includes other essential workers and people over 75.

However, Gov. Phil Murphy indicated Wednesday that some essential workers in phase 2B, like police and firefighters, may be eligible.

The state, not individual counties and towns, decides when to go to the next phase.

Murphy reportedly said Tuesday that he'd like to start vaccinating the general public by Memorial Day.

Essex County has come up with a website to register for the vaccine, and has set up five individual locations. The Livingston Mall location is the one for Maplewood and Millburn residents.

If you are interested in receiving a Covid-19 vaccine at the vaccination center you must make an appointment. To make an appointment visit essexcovid.org or call 973-877-8456. Since the vaccine is administered in two doses, you will be scheduled for two appointments to receive each dose.

A statewide site has also been set up, but was overloaded Tuesday with requests.

Read more: When Can You Get COVID-19 Vaccine In New Jersey?

State trends

The state is currently in the second wave of the virus.

Just before Christmas, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said that there were 111 fatalities among residents from Tuesday to Wednesday, the highest one-day toll since July. The state also marked a seven-month record-high in terms of total coronavirus hospitalizations, with 3,841 new hospitalizations (3,612 who had tested positive and 279 who were awaiting their test results).

A total of 765 patients were in ICU beds and 485 patients were on ventilators.

On Dec. 22, 426 patients were discharged from hospitals, and 498 new patients were admitted.

As of Tuesday night, 355,000 Americans had died of the virus. (You can see which states had the highest death toll in the past week on this CDC map.)

More information about Covid-19 vaccination is available at the New Jersey Department of Health’s website at nj.gov/health and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s website at cdc.gov.

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