Over 300 Receive COVID Vaccination At Wayne's Preakness Center

WAYNE, NJ — Over 300 residents, staff members and essential caregivers received COVID-19 vaccinations during Preakness Healthcare Center's second round of vaccinations, officials announced this week.

Fifteen essential caregivers were vaccinated over the course of the two-day clinic, in addition to 168 residents and 122 staff members, according to officials.

Additional vaccinations will be administered on Saturday, and second doses of the vaccine are scheduled to be given on Jan. 24, 29 and 30. First doses of the vaccine may also be administered during those days, according to Preakness officials, who are urging their residents and staffers to get it.

"We encourage all residents and staff who do not have medical contraindications for the COVID-19 vaccine to be vaccinated," they wrote.

As vaccinations continue, so does coronavirus testing at the facility, where an additional four residents and two staffers have tested positive.

Preakness was among the long-term care facilities which saw a spike in coronavirus cases recently.

The state Department of Health released statistics Monday that show New Jersey had a 132 percent increase in cases associated with outbreaks since Nov. 16 and a 62 percent increase in deaths.

As of Wednesday, the state Department of Health reports that 16 residents and 44 staff members at the facility are "COVID confirmed."

That number is lower than some other Passaic County long-term care facilities in the county, most notably Daughters of Miriam in Clifton, which reported 269 cases as of Wednesday.

Here are the county by county numbers:

The vaccinations come both as the township begins operations at their own site Friday, and also as cases spike, with over 1,000 reported in December alone.

READ MORE: Wayne Health Department To Begin COVID Vaccinations This Week

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