As of this morning, the State of New Jersey has administered 1,298,028 doses of the
COVID-19 vaccine - 961,449 first doses and 336,002 second doses. This past Wednesday, the
Commissioner of the NJ Department of Health announced that this coming week, the state is
expecting to see an increase in the delivery of first doses of the Pfizer vaccine, for a
total of 67,860 doses. The state is also expecting to receive 87,400 first doses of the
Moderna vaccine, which is the same number as last week. The state expects these amounts to
remain steady for the next couple of weeks. In addition to first doses, both Pfizer and
Moderna supply the state with second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine every week.
As the state continues its vaccination roll-out and we continue to deal with the
temperamental winter weather, the NJDOH would like to remind residents that a critical way
to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 is to continue to get tested. If you have been
potentially exposed to COVID-19, even if you don't have symptoms, you should get
tested. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have reported that more than half
of COVID-19 cases are transmitted from individuals experiencing no symptoms. Until you,
your family, and friends, have all received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, knowing
your COVID-19 status plays an essential role in protecting yourself and your loved ones.
There are two types of tests available to diagnose COVID-19: Antigen and PCR Tests. If you
have symptoms, getting a quick Antigen Test can provide you with a result within 15-30
minutes, so you can start isolating right away. However, Antigen tests are not as accurate
compared to the PCR tests. If you are asymptomatic but have been exposed to COVID-19, the
PCR test can find very small amounts of the virus that might be present.
Right now, there are more than 400
sites<https://covid19.nj.gov/pages/testing#test-sites> in NJ to get tested. The
testing center at the County College of Morris continues to operate 9:00am - 4:00pm on
Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. This site has been conducting around 400 PCR
tests per day with a 24-hour turnaround for results. There are no costs for these tests,
but
appointments<https://booknow.appointment-plus.com/b8hq2y7k/> are required. The
county plans to keep this site open for the foreseeable future.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend and take care.
Sarah Neibart
Mayor, Mendham Township