From Sheena Collum, Village President:
It’s with great excitement that I share that South Orange, in conjunction with our amazing partners in Maplewood, is releasing details of Essex County’s vaccination plan. You can access our full Covid-19 Vaccine Overview here to familiarize yourself with all details that are currently available.
Some highlights include the following:
- Essex County will be distributing the Moderna vaccine, which requires two doses separated by roughly four weeks.
- Our community’s vaccination site is the former Sears at Livingston Mall (112 Eisenhower Parkway) which will be open Monday-Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- While the vaccine will be available this week, it will be administered initially to priority populations such as healthcare workers, long-term care residents, and essential workers; after that will be older adults and those with high-risk medical conditions. The general population will then follow in phase 2.
- The vaccine will be administered by appointment only; to make an appointment, visit www.EssexCOVID.org or call 973-877-8456 (remember, at this stage only healthcare workers and individuals in LTC facilities are eligible to begin registering).
- The goal is to have 70 percent of New Jersey residents vaccinated by Spring 2021.
We are in need of volunteers, can you please help?
Click on the image below for a brief message from me and Maplewood Mayor Frank McGehee
Our County needs a large number of volunteers to ensure the success of a robust and efficient vaccination effort. This includes:
- Administration/Clerical Volunteers
- Vaccine Administrator Volunteers (qualified individuals with a nursing or medical background to be part of our inoculation team)
I plan to sign up to help, and I hope you will too because we really need all hands on deck!
Volunteers will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccination to ensure their health and safety. Volunteers are asked to commit to an entire day; a continental breakfast and boxed lunch will be provided. All volunteers will be supplied with PPE (masks, face shields, gloves, and gowns).
You can sign-up and help our efforts by completing the volunteer form here.
At the time of this communication, South Orange’s totals are 387 positive test cases and 7,051 negative cases. Sadly, we have lost five members of our community. The second wave has been particularly difficult for our community, and so I continue to urge you to wear your face coverings, practice social distancing, and wash your hands frequently.
Please be safe during the holiday season, and we’ll share more details as they become available. There is some light at the end of the tunnel — but in the meantime, please continue to protect yourself and care for your fellow community members.
