Covid Update: Vaccine Registration Website Goes Live

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COURT HOUSE – Jan. 4 marks 10 months since the first case of Covid was confirmed in New Jersey. Two weeks later, acase emerged in Cape May County. Since then, the county reported 4,523 cases.
This week (Dec. 29-Jan. 4) added 366 new county resident cases to that total. During the same week, county health officials removed 308 individuals from quarantine. 
With new cases rising faster than existing cases are removed from quarantine, the county’s active case total rose by 49 individuals, standing at 519. There were also five additional nonresident cases this week, all listed in Cape May, where an outbreak at the U.S. Coast Guard Training Center Cape May accounted for nonresident positives over the last few weeks.
There were nine new Covid-related fatalities this week, bringing the total of residents who succumbed to the virus to 143. The most recent death was an 88-year-old man associated with Woodbine long-term care.
The county’s long-term care facilities accounted for less than 10% of the total 4,523 cases, but they have been the location for 60% of the county fatalities. 
December 2020 accounted for more Covid fatalities than any month since the pandemic began. In that month, fatalities were not disproportionately in long-term care locations. Of the 33 reported Covid deaths, 16 were community-based and 17 involved long-term care residents.
The Covid Activity Level Tracking Report for the most recent week available, ending Dec. 26, 2020, shows a positivity rate for the southeast section of the state at 12.84%, the highest rate in the six regions designated by the state Health Department.
Vaccine Distribution and State Registration
The vaccine is in the county, but not in amounts that would permit wide distribution in the population. 
Currently, according to a Cape May County Health Department release, vaccination is available to individuals in Phase 1A, which includes persons serving in health care settings “who have the potential for direct or indirect exposure to patients or infectious materials.” Also, in this priority group are “residents and staff of long-term congregate settings.”
The state established a new page on its website to provide information on the vaccine plan, the priority groupings, and timelines as they become known. 
The site will also allow individuals to preregister for the vaccine. The process takes about 10 minutes. A series of questions are used to determine an individual’s priority for the vaccine. The registered individual will receive a communication when it is time to make an appointment for the vaccination. 
The vaccine registration site is https://covidvaccine.nj.gov/, and the site for more information on the vaccine program is https://covid19.nj.gov/pages/vaccine.
This week, it was announced that pharmacies in ShopRite stores will provide vaccinations in line with the state’s priority list. There are two ShopRite locations in the county, in Rio Grande and Marmora. However, the availability of the vaccine depends on the federal rollout of doses and the number of doses on hand.
The online registration system’s purpose is to let people know when they “fit” the current priority categories and can make an appointment for a vaccination. ShopRite will only provide the vaccine to individuals in currently eligible groups. Eligibility will change based on the availability of the doses and the registration system, if it works as designed, will promote direct notification when a given individual who has registered is in an eligible group.
The state’s goal remains unchanged – to vaccinate 70% of the adult population in the next six months.
New Jersey received about 400,000 doses of the vaccine in December 2020, and another 106,000 this past week. Of the doses received, 333,000 went to hospitals and medical sites for workers in settings where they may be exposed to the virus. The other 173,000 doses were allocated to long-term care facilities.
Health officials continue to urge the public to observe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for social distancing, facial coverings, and limiting indoor gatherings to your household “bubble.”  
To contact Vince Conti, email vconti@cmcherald.com.