On Monday, Apr. 5, anyone 55 and older are now allowed to schedule an appointment to get vaccinated. Monday’s eligibility also includes teachers, utility workers, and sanitation employees. The Governor loosened travel restrictions. New Jersey is no longer asking fully vaccinated people who travel domestically to self-quarantine after they get home from their trip or to get tested before or after traveling.
“Once again, these announcements come as we hope to see a flattening of the upward trend in new case counts,” said Mayor Manzo. “As you will note in the chart below, along with the hospitalization numbers, this is still a concern.” Mayor Manzo stresses the importance of positioning yourself to receive the vaccine as soon as possible, now that everyone over the age of 16 will be eligible as of Apr 19.
THE NUMBERS
There were 24,848 new cases reported in the last week, which is slightly lower than last week’s increase of 25,033. It halts a three-week run of weekly totals increasing. Cumulative totals in New Jersey have reached 817,464 positive tests since the outbreak started last March. New Jersey also lost 212 more residents in the last week, bringing that total to 22,081 deaths.
For Gloucester County, cases continue to worsen for the fourth consecutive week with 833 new cases reported. This brings the cumulative total of positive tests to 223,433 in the county. 5 more Gloucester County residents passed away to the virus, bringing the countywide cumulative total to 551.
Harrison Township saw a decrease from the prior week, with 24 new cases reported. That brings its cumulative total to 942 since the outbreak started. 10 Harrison residents have passed away as a result of COVID-19.
This chart shows the week by week increases in the State, County, and here in Harrison Township:
 |
ON THE HOME FRONT
Starting on Monday, Apr. 12, municipal employees will return to a full, “in-person” work schedule. Employees have been working split shifts. With employees working half the day from home, they are now transitioning in anticipation of re-opening their buildings to the public on June 1.
WE ARE A VILLAGE
Back in January, Mount Calvary Baptist Church started its Community Outreach program and gained support from IDEA Board members. They have received cash and gift card donations from local restaurants to give to the less fortunate. This is a final announcement regarding the April Day of Service slated for Saturday, Apr. 17, from 2-4:00 p.m. Mount Calvary is asking If you or anyone you know are in need, to complete the survey by Monday, Apr 12. This is vital since it identifies how many residents will be served at the April Day of service event. You can also consider making a cash donation to this Day of Service/Community Outreach program.
In addition to volunteer donations, the main sponsors donating gift cards are the Harrison House, Joe’s Pizza, and Naples at the Warehouse.
