COVID Corps Will Knock On Middletown Doors, Encouraging Vaccine

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — Gov. Phil Murphy announced on Monday that government employees and volunteers with his administration will be knocking on the doors of people who live in towns that are below 70 percent vaccinated for the coronavirus — and Middletown is one of those towns.

"Corps members are visiting towns that have not yet reached 70 percent of their adult population getting their first doses," Nancy Kearney, a spokeswoman with the New Jersey Department of Health said on Thursday.

The people doing this are with the COVID-19 Community Corps, which is made up of employees with the state's Department of Health and volunteers.

This week, Gov. Murphy said Corps workers will be knocking on front doors in the following towns: Jersey City, Bayonne, North Bergen, West New York, Hoboken, Union City, Passaic, Paterson, Newark, East Orange, Irvington, Perth Amboy, New Brunswick, Piscataway, Old Bridge, Woodbridge, Camden, Gloucester, Vineland, Trenton, Atlantic City, Howell, Middletown ("my hometown," the governor said), Lakewood, Toms River, Brick and Jackson.

Additional towns will continue to be added, said Kearney.

According to the latest Dept. of Health data, 69 percent of Middletown residents over 18 have gotten at least one shot, so Middletown is close to the 70 percent vaccination goal.

49 percent of all Middletown residents (includes children) are vaccinated, and 62 percent of Middletown residents over 18 are fully vaccinated, meaning they have gotten both shots or the one-shot J&J vaccine.

Middletown Mayor Tony Perry, a Republican, said nobody from the state informed him this would be happening in Middletown, and he first learned it was happening by reading about it on the Asbury Park Press.

"As part of our Operation Jersey Summer, we have our COVID-19 Community Corps working door to door across a bunch of municipalities to make sure everyone not only has the facts they need to make the right decision about getting vaccinated, but that they know where to get vaccinated, " said Murphy on Monday in this press conference. "So far, our COVID Community Corps team has knocked on more than 134,000 doors — incredible — and made nearly 67,000 phone calls and texts ... We're not stopping ... I thank each and every person walking their communities to help us get the word out that the vaccines are safe, effective and free ... they're doing great work to reach deep into our communities."

Should you get a knock on your door, expect the state workers to encourage you to get the vaccine and tell you where you can get the shot.

It is not clear how Corps workers know which houses to knock on. When you get vaccinated, you have to register with the state by providing your home address.

"For general canvassing, they will go to all homes in a neighborhood, speak with those who haven’t been vaccinated or thank those who have and encourage them to speak with their friends," said Kearney. "If no one is home, they will leave door hanger information on the vaccines and other social services information from the state Health Department."

"Canvassers are out during the week and on weekends," she said.

She said they also try to get people to come to pop-up vaccine events held by the state, such as the "Grateful for the Shot" events the state holds at houses of worship. But no pop-ups are planned for Middletown.

Monmouth County has the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines available at Brookdale Community College with no appointment necessary. The Brookdale vaccination site will be open Tuesdays from 1 to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon. Vaccines are available for residents who are at least 12 years old and live, work or attend school in Monmouth County.

In Middletown, there have been 6,477 cases of coronavirus since the county first started tracking cases last March. In Monmouth County, there have been 67,000 total cases and 1,486 deaths due to coronavirus, according to the state's COVID dashboard.

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