From Mayor Frank McGehee:
COVID-19 update
Earlier this week Maplewood hit a milestone which we’re not proud to communicate. We have now reached over 1,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases. That’s essentially one out of every twenty-five residents or 4%. As of today, Maplewood has 1,023 confirmed cases with the age of our latest cases ranging from 3 to 77.
But there is good news. The numbers of cases in general are on the decline and as of today, over 1.14 Million New Jersey citizens have been vaccinated with 263K (24%) already receiving both doses, keeping us on target to hit the 70% threshold for mass immunity by late June/end of Q2. Also, an increased vaccine supply is slated for Essex County, which should result in more vaccination appointments and bringing us closer to the next cohort opening up.
Help us spread the word
Our Black and LatinX Americans populations which have been heavily impacted are underrepresented. To date, only 5% of those vaccinated are Black Americans and 4% LatinX at the state aggregate level. As a result and in collaboration with the county and state, we are working with places of worship to either become vaccination sites in the future or spread the word where people can go. In addition, there is a push to get more vaccines to federally qualified health centers.
Getting Vaccinated
Please go to www.essexcovid.org to schedule a vaccine appointment. Note: a confirmed vaccination appointment is contingent upon the results of the required COVID-19 Vaccine Survey.
Also, starting tomorrow (Friday), select CVS and Rite Aids will be able to give vaccinations. To find available sites, please go to: https://covid19.nj.gov/pages/
Finally, read the Maplewood Vaccine Plan overview here: www.twp.maplewood.nj.us/
Volunteering at Vaccination sites
If you have registered to volunteer – Thank you! The county has received over 1,300 volunteer registrations and their staff are reaching out as needed at the five county vaccination sites. If you have not been called to serve yet, please be patient; with more vaccinations to come, your service will be needed.
Fighting Covid
Our fight is not over yet. Please be mindful and diligent by exercising the following precautions:
Avoid indoor gatherings with those who are outside of your immediate household to the extent possible. If you do engage in any type of indoor gathering, wear face coverings and social distance.
Do not visit those who are immunocompromised.
Keep your number of interactions and the number of people at any gathering as low as possible.
Limit your interactions with people outside of your immediate household.
Do not go anywhere if you’re sick, and do not dismiss it as a cold or allergies.
Wear your face coverings and wash your hands frequently.
Testing:
Please visit Maplewood’s COVID-19 website: https://www.twp.maplewood.nj.
An Informative Resource:
Webinar: Ask an Expert, COVID-19 Town Hall and Q&A https://m.youtube.com/watch?
Maplewood Hero
I want to take a moment to recognize and thank our phenomenal Public Health team, especially Public Health nurse Anna Markavova, who has led the way with keeping track of every case in Maplewood over the last 11 months. From providing information regarding cases to county contact tracers, creating care packages for every household, tracking who was hospitalized and when, and coordinating calls with the rest of our public health team and our volunteer school nurses, Anna has managed an incredible lift.
Thank you Anna for your service to our community.
Mayor Frank
