From the South Orange Office of Emergency Management:
As of 2:00 p.m. this afternoon [April 5], 12,324 South Orange residents have received access to COVID-19 testing and of that number, 857 tests have returned positive. Based on the last ten days, we are averaging 6.4 cases a day in South Orange. To date, nine members of our community have passed away due to complications from COVID-19. Please keep their families in your prayers.
Local testing sites are available here.
Local Updates
There are multiple new categories of eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine starting on Monday, April 5. But first, we wanted to take a moment to remind residents that while more and more residents are getting vaccinated, this is not the time to let our guard down. As you can see above, the number of cases are still rising at an alarming rate. This pandemic has not ended. Masks and social distancing guidelines are still in effect and are expected to be adhered to.
While the urge to resume annual traditions this Spring may be strong, we are recommending that residents avoid large gatherings for the foreseeable future. There’s a light at the end of the tunnel, we just need to continue the hard work we are doing so that we can resume normalcy in our lives.
Vaccine Eligibility
Beginning, Monday, April 5, the following groups of individuals will be eligible for vaccination:
- Individuals aged 55-64
- Individuals 16 and older with intellectual and developmental disabilities
- Developmental disabilities are a group of conditions due to an impairment in physical, learning, language, or behavior areas.
- Workers in the following sectors:
- Communications, IT, media, including communications infrastructure support (engineers, technicians) and members of the press
- Laundry services, including workers in laundromats, laundry services, and dry cleaners
- Real estate, building, and home services, including construction workers, code officials, plumbers, electricians, HVAC technicians, property management, and maintenance workers
- Retail financial institutions, including bank tellers, lending service, public accounting, and check cashing workers.
- Sanitation, including workers providing disinfection and janitorial services for all essential facilities and modes of transportation; city sanitation workers; residential, commercial, and industrial solid and hazardous waste removal.
- Utilities, including electrical generation and supply system, natural gas delivery, nuclear power plant, water supply, telephone, cable/fiber optical/broadband/cellular service workers
- Higher Education, including educators and support staff
- Librarians, including librarians and support staff at municipal, county, and state libraries (i.e. those not included in K-12 announcement)
The full listing of eligible individuals can be found here.
[Editor’s note: on April 5, Gov. Phil Murphy announced that all NJ residents 16 and over will be eligible for the vaccine starting April 19.]
