Middlesex County Begins Door Knocking With Vaccine Info., More

MIDDLESEX COUNTY, NJ — Starting Wednesday, February 9, Middlesex County will launch a new program called "Middlesex County Community Health Teams," where teams of county workers will go door-to-door throughout the county from 1 to 6 p.m. daily.

They will be providing information to residents about where you can get COVID-19 vaccines and testing, telehealth medical appointments, Emergency Rental Assistance, food donations and more — basically, all the resources offered by the county.

The teams will start in New Brunswick and Perth Amboy, but the goal of the program is to expand to all of Middlesex County. They will be communicating in English and Spanish.

In June of 2021, Gov. Phil Murphy launched this controversial program where COVID-19 Community Corps volunteers knocked on doors in towns that were below 70 percent of adults vaccinated.

In June and July of last summer, government volunteers knocked on doors in the following towns: Jersey City, Bayonne, North Bergen, West New York, Hoboken, Union City, Passaic, Paterson, Newark, East Orange, Irvington, Perth Amboy, New Brunswick, Piscataway, Old Bridge, Woodbridge, Camden, Gloucester, Vineland, Trenton, Atlantic City, Howell, Middletown ("my hometown," the governor joked at the time), Lakewood, Toms River, Brick and Jackson.

At the time, all of those towns had vaccination rates under 70 percent.

That door knocking got some pushback because New Jersey residents said it violated their privacy to have government workers pushing the COVID vaccine on their front step.

It remains unclear if this new program, only launched in Middlesex County for now, will do the same.

The county says these volunteers will be providing a wealth of information, and not just about COVID — such as help making rent payments, help finding a doctor, paying medical bills and so on.

"If you need help related to COVID-19, healthcare and wellness, housing, employment or food, speak with a member from our Community Health Team," said County Commissioner Claribel Azcona-Barber.

Employees will have ID badges that read “Middlesex Community Health Team” and you can identify them because they will be wearing bright neon safety vests while they are out knocking on doors.

In addition to the door-to-door knocking, Middlesex County will also be doing phone and text messaging. For more information about the Middlesex County Community Health Team, please visit: Middlesexcountynj.gov/communityhealth

MCAT is Middlesex County's transportation system for residents 60+ and those with disabilities; REPLENISH is now MCFOODS, the county's food distribution program.

Prior: COVID Corps Will Knock On Middletown Doors, Encouraging Vaccine

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