NJ Gov. Visits Newark As School, Airport Workers Get Vaccines

NEWARK, NJ — Gov. Phil Murphy made a visit to Newark on Tuesday to witness several airport workers and school support staff get a COVID-19 vaccination.

The shots were given at the Donald M. Payne Sr. School of Technology in Newark, one of five vaccination centers run by Essex County.

The workers were part of a new group of Garden State residents who became eligible for a shot on Monday, including transportation workers such as bus, taxi, train and airport employees, people experiencing homeless and people living in domestic violence shelters.

• See related article: NJ COVID-19 Vaccine Update: State Issues New Recommendations

Those who got their first shot of the Moderna vaccine included front-line workers such as Leslie Williams, who works in food services for the Orange school district, and Andre Cooper, a cabin cleaner and security specialist at Newark Liberty International Airport.

Murphy said New Jersey plans to mirror the Biden administration’s mandates going forward.

“President Biden has been clear that as of May 1, anyone who wants to register for an appointment for a vaccination will be able to in America, and I have every expectation that we’ll be able to meet that in New Jersey,” Murphy said.

Meanwhile in the Brick City, the Newark Board of Education has begun vaccinating teachers and staff members in the ongoing quest to "bring children back to school safely," city officials reported Tuesday.

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