Ridgewood Nears 70 Percent Vaccinated As NJ Passes State Goal

RIDGEWOOD, NJ — New Jersey passed Gov. Phil Murphy's vaccination goal on Friday, with over 70 percent of the population now vaccinated.

"We have now exceeded our initial goal, with 12 days to go before our self-appointed deadline," Murphy said, speaking at University Hospital in Newark.

The state has now vaccinated more than 4.7 million people since the rollout began, but data shows that Ridgewood still has a little more to do before reaching the 70 percent mark at home. Read more: NJ Passes 4.7M Vaccination Goal. But Towns Still Lag Behind

New Jersey Department of Health data shows that 69 percent of all residents have received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine, while 62 percent of those residents are fully vaccinated.

Seniors are leading the way in the township, with 94 percent having received one dose while 89 percent are fully vaccinated. The number is slightly smaller for those over 18, with 79 percent fully vaccinated.

"While we are celebrating this remarkable achievement, our work is not yet finished, and we must continue working together to vaccinate all eligible individuals to end the COVID-19 pandemic," Murphy said.

Murphy used a baseball analogy to sum up where the Garden State needs to go next in the battle against COVID.

"Remember Hank Aaron when he broke Babe Ruth's record? He didn't stop," Murphy said. "When he got to 715, he hit another 40 homers."

Murphy said that is what New Jersey needs to do, to keep stepping up to the plate to get vaccinated, noting that there is no longer a pandemic among vaccinated individuals.

"So for yourself, for your community, for your family, please help push our total even higher," he said. "To five, six or seven, or even nine million."

Additional reporting by Russ Crespolini.