By DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
During Friday’s video conference about Cape May County’s efforts to provide the COVID-19 vaccine, officials including county Health Officer Kevin Thomas and COVID-19 liaison Michael Donohue advised the public to be patient. Here are some of the key points:
– Register for the vaccine at the state website, covidvaccine.nj.gov, or the county website, capemaycountynj.gov, which links to the state website.
– Once registered on the state site, an email will be sent telling individuals when they are eligible. However, the email will explain that they have to wait for a second email telling them when they can register for an actual appointment to get the vaccine.
– Continue social distancing, wearing masks and practicing good hygiene to decrease the spread of the coronavirus.
– It is not clear that people have to register in the county, Donohue said. It appears some people are registering in Cape May County and being directed to a site out of the county for a vaccine and vice versa.
– Fare-free Transportation is available to vaccination sites. Call (609) 889-3700.
– The county does not control private sites such as the ShopRite supermarkets where vaccines are being administered.
– No walk-ins. The Cape May County site at the Avalon Community Center does not accept walk-ins. It provides vaccinations only to those with appointments.
– Officials are asking employers to allow their employees to take time off from work to get a vaccine if that is when they are scheduled. “We know it will be a challenge, you don’t want to lose employees in the middle of the day,” Donohue said, “but it would be great assistance to all of us and let us get through the county population more quickly.” At some point the county hopes to have Saturday hours.
– Priority for who gets vaccines is set by the state for groups such as Phase 1A and 1B. Because the state opened up vaccination to everyone over 65 or those under 65 with certain conditions, it has caused a greater backlog in providing appointments.
– On the county website is a button for those who wish to volunteer for the medical reserve corps to help with vaccination. There are different needs, even for people without medical training. The county doesn’t need the volunteers for the site in Avalon, but if more sites open in the future and they are able to do more doses per day, they will be needed.
– Second-dose appointments. State software on the vaccination site is changing, Thomas said. As of Friday, the state would send out a second email to schedule an appointment for a second dose, but they are trying to fix that so people get scheduled for both doses initially.
– The county wants to get the most high-risk people vaccinated first to take the pressure off of health care facilities.
– Although there are going to be about 400 first doses per week at least through the first few weeks of February, county officials are hoping that number increases, but they don’t know when that will be.