On Monday New Jersey reported vaccinations continue to help shrink the state’s COVID-19 numbers to their lowest levels in months, with about 5 in 9 residents having received at least one dose.
Gov. Phil Murphy announced the update three days after he signed an executive order formally terminating the 15-month-old public health emergency he declared to help fight the pandemic.
TDemocratic governor also signed a controversial bill into law that keeps some of his emergency orders, such as keeping current mask rules and moratoriums on evictions and utility shutoffs, and allows his administration to retain some powers over the state’s recovery the next eight months. Republicans were opposed to the plan.
“The public health emergency is over. The pandemic is not,” Murphy said Monday. “We still have an aggressive vaccination program to oversee. We still must ensure that we have the capability to combat any hotspots that may arise in areas where vaccinations lag.”
More than 4.2 million people who live, work, or study in the state have now been fully vaccinated at New Jersey sites. That includes about 94,000 out-of-state residents who were vaccinated in New Jersey. Nearly 169,000 New Jerseyans have been vaccinated in other states.
The state’s goal is to have 70% of New Jersey’s 6.9 million adults vaccinated by the end of this month. About 58% of adult residents have been fully vaccinated so far. In addition, more than 283,000 first and second vaccine doses have been administered to kids between ages 12 and 17.
More than 5 million people have received at least their first dose at a New Jersey site — about 55% of the state’s 9.2 million residents, according to the state’s numbers.