Over 1,000 Wayne Residents Test Positive For COVID-19 In December

WAYNE, NJ — Seated behind a desk on New Year's Eve, Wayne Mayor Christopher Vergano said what many across the township, county, state, country and world were thinking.

"The last day of 2020, and I'm sure many of us are happy to hear that statement," he said. Vergano, who occasionally says things like this in jest, was not kidding.

In his latest message, Vergano shared a bleak fact: over 1,000 township residents tested positive for the coronavirus in December.

"So how are we doing in the month of December?" Vergano asked himself. "The answer is really not that good," he answered.

Through Dec. 30, 1,080 tested township residents tested positive for the coronavirus in December, a clip of 36 positive cases a day, Vergano said. Four people died.

Vergano had been adamant that numbers were getting worse over the course of the last month, but December marked an acceleration even to those projections.
In November the township reported 549 coronavirus cases, which followed 154 in October.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, 3,453 residents have tested positive, and 196 people have died.

"Clearly this is not over," Vergano said of the pandemic, noting that hope was on the horizon, however.

Vaccines

Vergano announced in a prior update that the township would also be able to adminster vaccines, and said a "vaccine station" would be held at Tom's Lake in Captain Kilroy Park.

The township has ordered vaccines, according to Vergano, but officials are unsure when they'll receive doses.

That vaccine site will begin inoculating those in category 1A, and will progress to category 1B per government guidance.

An appointment must be set through the township website, much like Wayne-hosted COVID-19 testing.

"The details will come forward as they are available," he said.

Area hospitals have already started vaccinations amongst staff, and Vergano said local nursing homes were among those to receive doses of the vaccine last week.

Vergano added that once vaccines are available to the general public, the township may also help in vaccination some nursing home patients, but those details are still up in the air.

READ MORE: Vaccines Coming To Wayne: Here's What We Know

Testing is still available for Wayne residents through the county, but Wayne's COVID-19 testing program has ended, Vergano announced.

Passaic County's testing will come to Wayne on Thursday, however.

A Thank You

Much like he had been throughout the duration of the pandemic, Vergano was seated at a desk, looking straight ahead into the lens of a camera, talking about the coronavirus to those tuned in to the township website.

He took the first moments of video to thank Wayne's police officers, members of the volunteer first aid squad and fire department, the township health department and others for their efforts during the pandemic.

COVID-19 testing through the county, he said, was a pivotal step for the township, adding that it was "above and beyond" what many expected.