South Jersey COVID Vaccination Mega-Site To Stay Open Amid Storm

GLOUCESTER COUNTY, NJ — New Jersey’s COVID-19 vaccination “mega-site” at Rowan College of South Jersey will stay open on Thursday despite inclement weather in the forecast, Gloucester County officials announced on Wednesday.

The latest snow totals forecast as much as 8 inches of snow for New Jersey starting on late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning.

In Deptford, where the site is located, the National Weather Service is projecting between 3 and 5 inches. Read more here: NJ Weather: Latest Snow Total Estimates Rise For Winter Storm

"We welcome all individuals to attend their appointment as scheduled," Gloucester County officials said in a prepared statement. "However, we understand everyone may not be able to make their appointment if we receive the anticipated snowfall on Thursday. We will accommodate all individuals who miss their appointments on Thursday, February 17, on Sunday, February 21. Please arrive at the site at the time of your original appointment."

All second dose appointments will continue to be honored between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. daily, officials said. Residents must arrive on or after the date on the back of the CDC card they received when they got their first dose.

For more information, contact the Gloucester County Covid-19 Vaccine Hotline. The hotline is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. to answer any questions. The number is 856-218-4142.

Speaking during a news conference, Col. Patrick Callahan, superintendent of the State Police, said the Burlington County and Morris County mega-sites will be closed and the Somerset community-based site will be closed on Thursday.

All vaccination sites have contingency plans in place in the event they have to cancel appointments, New Jersey Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said.

She also said shipments of the vaccine into New Jersey have been delayed due to inclement weather across the country.

“Most vaccine sites in the state are using inventory they have on hand to ensure appointments are kept,” Persichilli said. “All sites are expected to have plans in place for rescheduling appointments should they not have the sufficient inventory.”

The Gloucester County site is located at Rowan College of South Jersey, 1400 Tanyard Road in Sewell. Vaccinations are available by appointment only, and appointments are restricted to anyone who is eligible under the New Jersey COVID-19 Vaccine Plan, which prioritizes groups based on age, employment, health condition and other factors.

Even if you're not eligible to receive a COVID-19 yet, New Jerseyans can pre-register online. No one will be allowed to walk into the Gloucester County facility without authorization, and people who show up unannounced won't get vaccinated. Vaccination hours are by appointment for now and will be from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., seven days a week.

As of Wednesday, 201,872 New Jersey residents have been vaccinated through the state’s six “mega-sites.” The Gloucester County site alone has vaccinated more than 60,000 New Jersey residents. On Tuesday, more than 13,000 were vaccinated in one day, a record for New Jersey, Persichilli said.

Here is the upcoming forecast for Deptford, according to the National Weather Service:

Thursday
Snow. High near 32. Northeast wind 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 3 to 5 inches possible.

Thursday Night
Snow, freezing rain, and sleet before 3am, then sleet between 3am and 5am, then snow and sleet after 5am. Low around 29. Northeast wind 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New ice accumulation of less than a 0.1 of an inch possible. New snow and sleet accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Friday
Snow and sleet likely before 10am, then rain, snow, and sleet likely between 10am and 11am, then rain and snow likely after 11am. Cloudy, with a high near 36. North wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow and sleet accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Friday Night
A slight chance of rain and snow before 9pm, then a slight chance of snow between 9pm and 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 24. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.