New Brunswick, Piscataway On List For Vaccine Door Knocking

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ — Gov. Phil Murphy announced Monday that government employees and volunteers will be knocking on the front doors of people who live in towns that are below 70 percent vaccinated for coronavirus — and New Brunswick, Piscataway, Woodbridge and Old Bridge are on his list.

Starting this week and into next, 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, Lakewood, Toms River, Brick and Jackson.

They will be out knocking on doors this weekend, too.

"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. "Canvassers are out during the week and on weekends."

According to the state's COVID dashboard, here is where all those towns stand on first doses:

• Woodbridge is very close to 70 percent: 69 percent of Woodbridge residents 18 and older have received at least one shot
• In Old Bridge, 65 percent of residents over 18 have gotten at least one shot.
• In Piscataway, 67 percent of residents 18+ have gotten at least one shot.
• In New Brunswick, 46 percent of residents 18+ have gotten at least one shot.

Middlesex borough is at 68 percent of adults with one shot, but it was not on Murphy's list. Gov. Murphy has repeatedly said New Brunswick has among the lowest vaccine rates in the state, and New Brunswick is where the state launched a roaming vaccine van last month to travel into various neighborhoods, giving out the one-dose Johnson & Johnson shot. Other towns with low vaccine rates are Phillipsburg, Trenton, Lakewood and South Toms River.

Other Middlesex County towns have much higher vaccination rates: Highland Park is at 75 percent with one dose and in Edison Twp., 84 percent have gotten at least one shot.

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.

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

Additional towns will continue to be added, said Kearney.

"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 Gov. 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."

It is not clear how Corps workers know which house 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."

Related: Just 15 Percent Of New Brunswick's Adults Are Fully Vaccinated (May 13)

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