County's COVID Vaccine Site In Gloucester Twp. To Open This Week

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ — The planned coronavirus vaccination site at Camden County College in Gloucester Township is set to open this week, county officials announced on Tuesday.

Camden County Commissioner Director Louis Cappelli Jr. will be joined by Rep. Donald Norcross, Jefferson Health President/CEO Brian Sweeney and Camden County College President Donald Borden will mark the opening of the site at noon on Wednesday.

It will be open for four operational lanes of traffic for anyone who qualifies under Phase 1A, as well as law enforcement and firefighters who fall under Phase 1B, according to officials.

The Moderna vaccine will be distributed at the site, at a rate of 500 doses per day, officials said. The site — operated in conjunction with Jefferson Health-New Jersey and Cooper University Health Care — will be open six days a week, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“Vaccinations play a critical role in our fight against this virus,” Cappelli said. “This is a historic time in our county, state and nation’s history, and we must rise to the occasion to knock out this virus. Cooper and Jefferson have been important partners in launching this initiative, and we appreciate their efforts during this historic crisis.”

Before the opening, Cappelli and Camden County Assistant Public Health Coordinator Caryelle Lasher will discuss the county's vaccine status on Camden County’s Facebook page and at camdencounty.com/live at 11 a.m.

Vaccinations will be distributed in the Papiano Gym at Camden County College, 200 College Drive in the Blackwood section of Gloucester Township, by appointment only. Anyone looking to be vaccinated can register at www.CamdenCountyVaccine.com.

The announcement comes less than a week after officials said they were prepared to open the site, but didn’t have any doses. Read more here: Lack Of Doses Delays Gloucester Twp. COVID Vaccine Site Opening

As of Tuesday, there have been 32,178 coronavirus cases and 815 coronavirus-related deaths in Camden County since the pandemic began. There were 186 new cases on Tuesday, but no new fatalities. Trace investigations are underway in all new cases.

The Camden County Department of Health also announced that 2,084 residents and 1,131 staff members at the county's 56 long-term care facilities have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began. Since then, 415 residents and three staff members have died.

“It has been a long a difficult pandemic, but we can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel as vaccinations increase here in Camden County and throughout the country,” Cappelli said. “Still, rising cases and deaths across the country make clear that this fight is not over. We cannot take our foot off the pedal until vaccinations have been distributed broadly across the population. Until that time, we must continue to wear masks, social distance, and avoid indoor gatherings where the virus spread easily. These simple steps will save lives in the weeks and months to come.”

Here is the prioritization order for receiving the vaccine:

Phase 1A: Healthcare personnel

• Hospital
• LTC workers
• Veteran's home workers
• Home care workers
• Ambulatory and urgent care
• clinic workers
• Dialysis center workers
• Dental office workers
• Morticians and funeral home workers
• Pharmacy workers
• Other non-hospital healthcare facilities workers
• Public health workers (such as those as federally qualified health centers)
• Group home workers
• Other paid and unpaid licensed and unlicensed healthcare workers
• EMS personnel
• Other healthcare settings

Phase 1A: Long-term care residents

• Long-term care facilities
• Veterans' homes
• Correctional facilities, prisons, juvenile centers, county jail
• IDD group homes
• Mental health group homes
• Psychiatric hospitals
• Other long-term care settings

Phase 1B: Other essential workers

• Food-service workers
• Port Authority workers
• New Jersey Transit workers
• Teachers, staff, and childcare workers
• Workers who support radio, print, internet and television news and media services
• Other critical workers
• Other essential workers

Phase 1C: People at high-risk of COVID-19 illness

• People at all ages with comorbid and underlying conditions that put them at high risk of COVID-19 (such as, hypertension, obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic lung disease, cancer, chronic kidney disease, immuno-compromised, sickle cell disease)
• People living or working in congregate or overcrowded settings – such as colleges and universities
• People living or working in congregate or overcrowded settings – such as migrant workers
• People living or working in congregate or overcrowded settings
• Tribal populations
• Other people at high risk of COVID-19 illness due to comorbidities, occupations, demographics, etc.

Phase 1C: Elderly

• People over 65

Phase 2

• General public

New Jersey's COVID-19 vaccination program aims to:

• Provide equitable access to all who live, work, and/or are educated in New Jersey
• Achieve community protection, assuming vaccine effectiveness, availability and uptake
• Build sustainable trust in COVID-19 and other vaccines

The state's goal is to vaccinate 70 percent of the adult population — or 4.7 million adults — within six months.

Gov. Phil Murphy said New Jersey is also developing a vaccine portal that will keep track of the immunization program. Registration for the vaccination has begun, and the current link (found here) from the state Department of Health is available.