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COURT HOUSE – As the percentage of fully vaccinated county residents climbs, new Covid cases continue to decline.
This week (April 20-26), the county reported 146 new cases. Three months ago, in mid-January, the weekly new cases count was routinely over 400.
In January, the county saw over 1,600 cases reported in 31 days. In April, with a few days remaining, the month’s cumulative total of new cases sits at 637.
On the last day of the week, the county passed a new threshold, with the death of an 84-year-old Lower Township man. The cumulative resident fatalities in the fight against the virus stand at 200. The active cases count is 252, with no active cases associated with long-term care facilities.
Much of the credit for improving numbers can be given to the robust vaccination effort, which has 37,384 adult county residents fully vaccinated.
According to U.S. Census estimates, the county had just over 76,000 residents at or over the age of 18, meaning the fully vaccinated percentage of the adult population is approaching 50%.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said one in three Americans nationwide are fully vaccinated.
From the start, county officials’ goal was to have a significant proportion of the population fully vaccinated before the start of summer. As the island communities prepare for the imminent arrival of tourists and large numbers of second homeowners, the county’s Avalon vaccination site is scheduled to move to the mainland, at Lower Cape Regional High School’s field house, May 17.
This week, the 11-day pause on the use of Johnson & Johnson’s one-shot vaccine was lifted by the New Jersey Department of Health.
The highly controversial concept of a vaccine passport or certificate gained new legs this week, when European Union (EU) officials said travel to Europe may, once again, be allowed for fully vaccinated individuals.
The requirement would be a vaccine certificate showing the individual was fully vaccinated, with a vaccine approved by the Union’s drug regulatory agency. Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines have all had that approval.
Smartphone apps are under development in Europe that would contain some form of digital pass for appropriately vaccinated persons, eliminating the need for a paper certificate.
Here, at home, the venues where individuals will need to prove they have been fully vaccinated are growing. Several colleges across the nation are requiring students be vaccinated before returning to campus.
The Wall Street Journal reported a small but growing number of employers are requiring proof of vaccination or an agreement to be vaccinated within 30 days of hire.
The race to vaccinate an ever-increasing percentage of the adult population is also a race to deny the virus room to mutate and produce more contagious or more deadly variants that may eventually bypass vaccine immunity.
Multiple variants are circulating in New Jersey. The B.1.1.7 variant, first identified in Kent, England, spread rapidly in the state. The CDC reports that 45% of New Jersey’s new cases, as of late March, were associated with the variant.
A slowing demand for vaccination is a serious concern, in part, because a sizable portion of the population not vaccinated becomes a breeding ground for new variants.
Health and Human Services estimate that as many as 13% of county adults are hesitant about getting the vaccine, with 5% saying they would definitely not be vaccinated. If those numbers hold, progress on vaccinations in the county will start slowing.
The New Jersey Judiciary is preparing for an avalanche of eviction cases, when the health emergency moratorium on eviction is lifted. Over 62,000 filings are already in the queue, with almost 200,000 more expected this year.
A special committee delivered a report to Chief Justice Stuart Rabner this week. The report contains 18 recommendations for change in how the courts deal with landlord-tenant issues.
This week also saw Gov. Phil Murphy continue to ease Covid restrictions. Beginning May 10, Murphy will allow higher outdoor gathering limits and increased maximum capacities for private catered events.
To contact Vince Conti, email vconti@cmcherald.com.
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