COVID Vaccines In Essex: Plea For Honesty, Community Outreach

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — There are times when it’s a shrewd move to “work the system” to get things done. But not when it comes to getting a COVID-19 vaccine, an Essex County official says.

Essex County has seen high praise for its vaccination program, recently being lauded as a “national model” by U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, a Newark resident. As of Feb. 9, the county has administered 47,533 first doses and 10,840 second doses of the Moderna vaccine since opening the first of its five vaccination sites.

Read More: COVID Vaccines In Essex County (Where, How To Get A Shot)

However, demand is far outpacing the supply of available doses – a federal-level issue, according to Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr.

Essex County recently rolled out an online schedule that allows residents to see if any appointments are available at its vaccination centers. But appointments have been disappearing off the tracker nearly as soon as they're posted, leaving many residents checking back daily with no success. (See the website here)

On Wednesday, DiVincenzo posted the following message via social media:

“We have noticed recently that residents are posting about 'working the system' on our vaccination website to get earlier appointments. Some zip codes have more availability because they are in some of our most vulnerable areas. We encourage residents to be honest and truthful on our website to ensure that the system remains fair for all of our residents.”

CLERGY OUTREACH

Meanwhile, the county continues to reach out to local community leaders in an attempt to get more vaccinations into arms.

On Wednesday, DiVincenzo announced a partnership with clergy members in the region to encourage residents in Black and Brown communities to get vaccinated.

During a news conference, ministers from religious organizations in Newark, East Orange and Bloomfield, including Rev. Joe Carter, pastor of New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, received their first doses of the vaccination.

“I’m proud to be part of this so we can fight the skepticism people have about getting the vaccine,” Carter said. “The more local we can get this discussion, the more local we can get the synergy is how we are going to make this happen.”

Other clergy members scheduled to receive vaccinations included Rev. Joseph Hooper and Theresa Hooper from St. Luke AME Church in Newark, Rev. Kimberly Credit from Smyrna Missionary Baptist Church in Newark, Ruling Elder Warren McNeil from the Newark Presbytery and Rev. Margo Barnes from New Hope Baptist Church in Newark.

Hopefully, the alliance will help the county reach its goal, DiVincenzo said: 70 percent of local residents vaccinated and development of a “herd immunity.”

“By partnering with Pastor Carter and other leaders from our faith-based community, we are hoping to demonstrate to residents how safe getting the vaccination is,” DiVincenzo said.

The county’s latest outreach effort got a thumbs-up from state Sen. Teresa Ruiz, who represents Belleville and Newark.

“People in our communities connect to their local churches and lean on spiritual leaders for help,” Ruiz said.

CORONAVIRUS CASE, DEATH TOTALS

Essex County provided an update of coronavirus case and death totals on Thursday. See the list below.

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