City Encourages Vaccinated to Continue Wearing Masks Indoors
East Orange, NJ, August 2, 2021: Amid rising COVID-19 cases across the state, the East Orange Department of Health and Human Services has increased its efforts to get residents vaccinated against COVID-19 working with key community partners throughout the state.
The department’s new Mobile Health Clinic, which officially launched earlier this year in March, is making its rounds with pop-up visits at community events all summer long and has a standing schedule on every Wednesday at Central Avenue and Old Sanford Street between 10 am and 12 pm, and then evening hours between 4:30 pm and 6:30 pm in front of City Hall Plaza on the following upcoming Thursdays: August 12 and 26, September 9 and 23 and October 7 and 21.
Walk-ups are welcome, but pre-registration is strongly advised. No insurance is required. To register to receive the Moderna, J&J or Pfizer vaccines, please visit www.eovaccine.org or call 973.266.5480. Due to limited supply, vaccine appointments will be administered on a first come, first served basis.
Upcoming East Orange Mobile Clinics
- Tues, Aug 3 (Moderna, J&J and Pfizer) Oval Park, 130 Eaton Place, 12 pm – 7 pm
- Wed, Aug 4 (Moderna, J&J and Pfizer) Central Avenue and Old Sanford Street, 10 am – 12 pm
- Thurs, Aug 5 (Moderna, J&J and Pfizer) 44 City Hall Plaza, 12 pm – 7 pm
- Sun, Aug 8 (Moderna, J&J and Pfizer) Bethel Haitian Presbyterian Church, 320 Springdale Avenue, 10 am – 5 pm
- Thurs, Aug 12 (Moderna, J&J and Pfizer) 44 City Hall Plaza, 4:30 pm – 6:30 pm
As of August 2, 2021, East Orange had 7,295 cumulative positive cases of COVID-19 (since March 2020) with 315 COVID-19 related deaths. The city’s fully vaccinated rate is 43% and 53% among adults 18 and over who have received at least one dose of the vaccine.
With deadlier variants of the coronavirus emerging, Health Director Dr. Monique Griffith said it’s even more important for all eligible residents to get vaccinated and help stop the spread.
“We understand that there may be hesitancy among many in our community, but we have to trust the science and do what is necessary to protect ourselves and loved ones from severe illness,” Griffith said. “None of us thought we would still be where we are more than one year after we confirmed our first COVID-19 case in the City of East Orange. The only way we’ll be able to return to some semblance of normalcy is if people get vaccinated.”
“Reality check, if we don’t get it together, we may go back,” said Mayor Ted R. Green, who was vaccinated in March.
Mayor Green also emphasized the need for people to continue wearing masks indoors whether one is vaccinated or not and especially when social distancing is not avoidable or easy to maintain. This echoes both the Centers for Disease Control and Governor Phil Murphy’s recent announcements that strongly recommend that both vaccinated and unvaccinated residents wear masks in indoor settings when there is increased risk.
Examples of such situations include:
- Crowded indoor settings
- Indoor settings involving activities with close contact with others who may not be fully vaccinated
- Indoor settings where the vaccine status of other individuals in the setting is unknown
- Where an individual is immunocompromised or at increased risk for severe disease
“Getting vaccinated was not just a personal choice for me, it was my personal responsibility to ensure that I do everything I can to keep myself, my family, and my community safe,” said Mayor Green.
