A Walgreens pharmacy worker gives a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to a customer. (Courtesy of Walgreens)
New Jersey is accelerating its COVID-19 vaccine eligibility timeline by opening up vaccinations to anyone 16 or older on Monday, April 19, 2021, the governor announced on Monday.
Gov. Phil Murphy said this is the "right time to put our program into higher gear." The expansion will come two weeks ahead of schedule.
On Monday, April 5, vaccine eligibility opened to anyone 55 and older, people in certain job categories, and individuals 16 and older who have intellectual or developmental disabilities.
Murphy has set a goal to get 70% of the state's adult population (about or 4.7 million people) vaccinated before July. He said New Jersey is about 38% of the way to that goal, or about 1.8 million people.
Who is eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine in New Jersey?
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NJ vaccine eligibility
The governor announced expanded eligibility based on age and job categories for the coronavirus vaccine.
"Not only are we getting more shots in arms on a daily basis but we've made the vaccines more accessible," Murphy said in a statement. "Between our many points of vaccine distribution, 98.7% of all New Jersey residents live within five miles of where they can get vaccinated."
The Pandemic's Toll
Another 2,471 positive COVID tests were reported, bringing the total lab-confirmed cases to 817,464 as of Monday, according to the state's data. Another 112,562 cases are listed as "probable COVID-19" based on antigen testing.
"Sadly, we must report an additional 15 confirmed COVID-19 deaths, bringing the cumulative total of confirmed deaths to 22,081," Murphy said. "The number of probable deaths remains 2,568."
Scheduling an Appointment
If you need to get vaccinated in New Jersey, you can register for the NJ Vaccine Scheduling System to be notified when you are eligible. If you're already eligible, you can schedule an appointment directly with vaccine locations. Many of these locations do not schedule appointments through the state's system.
With The Associated Press