Governor reaffirms commitment to leading New Jersey through the COVID-19 pandemic

STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS

NEW Jersey Governor Phil Murphy aired his third State of the State Address from Trenton on Tuesday, Jan. 12, highlighting accomplishments from his first three years in office to reaffirm his commitment to leading New Jersey through the COVID-19 public health crisis and improving the lives of New Jersey’s families.

“Although wounded deeply, we enter 2021 tougher than ever, wiser than before, and ready to move forward together,” Murphy said. “Despite the ongoing pandemic, our mission of making New Jersey a stronger and fairer state for every family has not changed.”

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the address was pre-recorded without an audience at the Patriots Theater at the Trenton War Memorial and streamed on the Governor’s official social media channels.

“We’re proving that the best way to beat COVID-19 is by leaning in to smart investments with a forward-looking, principled vision for the future. Our priorities for the year ahead focus on the public health challenges at hand, while charting a path forward to build a stronger, fairer, and more resilient economy that works for every New Jersey family,” he said.

In his address, the Governor also acknowledged that New Jersey was one of the first and hardest-hit states, that its communities of color have been disproportionately impacted and that it is currently battling a second wave which is just as brutal as the first.

A statewide vaccination program is in place and the governor is looking forward to the arrival of approved, safe, and effective COVID-19 vaccines.

“Despite many obstacles, we have in place a plan to vaccinate every willing New Jersey adult resident — and hundreds of thousands have already rolled up their sleeves,” Murphy said as he urged residents to learn about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines available and pre-register for their own vaccination.

Six vaccine mega-sites have opened across the state, and vaccinations will be available in hundreds more places statewide. The state has already streamlined the vaccination process to enhance efficiency.

Cuomo expands eligibility of vaccine in NewYork

In New York, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced five state-run vaccination sites have begun accepting appointments and were scheduled to open this week.

The sites – the Jacob K. Javits Center, Westchester County Center and New York State Fair Expo Center – all opened on January 13 and sites at Jones Beach and SUNY Albany opened the following day, with more vaccination sites to be announced in the coming days.
Since federal supply severely limits the ability to distribute vaccine, New Yorkers are encouraged to remain patient and are advised not to show up at vaccination sites without an appointment.

New York’s vast distribution network and large population of eligible individuals far exceed the vaccine supply coming from the federal government, which is arriving at a rate of approximately 300,000 doses per week. As such, eligible New Yorkers should be prepared to receive an appointment date as far as 14 weeks or further in the future.

“New York State is rapidly expanding our networks and capabilities to get as many New Yorkers vaccinated as fast as our supply allows,” Cuomo said. “The new vaccine sites across the State will expedite our distribution to get our most vulnerable New Yorkers vaccinated efficiently. Our greatest hindrance continues to be federal inaction. We have come too far to be held back in our efforts by the inadequate vaccine supply from the federal government. I encourage New Yorkers to be patient throughout this process and urge our federal government to increase the supply to states.”

This network, which includes the five state-run sites, as well as 15 more which will be announced in the coming days will also utilize doctors’ offices, Federally-Qualified Health Centers, county health departments, ambulatory centers and pharmacies to get doses in the arms of eligible New Yorkers.

More than 1,200 pharmacies have already committed to participating in this network, with nearly 400 scheduled to come on-line this week. Pharmacies will be provided vaccines for New Yorkers aged 65 and older, while hospitals will continue vaccinating 1a healthcare workers, and local health departments and union-organized efforts will serve essential workers in 1b.