Livingston Mall Vaccine Site Opens with Essex County and RWJ Barnabas Health Partnership – TAPinto.net
LIVINGSTON, NJ — After vaccinating hundreds of health care workers on Saturday, Essex County held a press conference this morning to officially open the Essex County Vaccine Site at the former Sears store in the Livingston Mall in partnership with Saint Barnabas Medical Center.
SBMC, an RWJBarnabas Health facility, will be the exclusive healthcare provider responsible for coordinating vaccinators at the Livingston Mall location. This clinic is open to residents of Belleville, Livingston, Millburn, Maplewood, Newark, Orange, and South Orange.
Stephen P. Zieniewicz, President and Chief Executive Officer of Saint Barnabus Medical Center, noted that “early in the pandemic it felt like we were playing defense.” He said that now, with health care, the private sector, and government locking arms, “we have the tools to win.”
“We’re all in this together,” Zieniewicz said. “I think we’re going to be very relieved when this is behind us.”
Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo noted that, “We are the first ones in the entire state, county-wise, that opened up not one site, but five sites. We have four that are operating now; the fifth will be operating on January 18th.” He noted the urgency of doing so because of Essex County’s high caseload, which as of today is 46,102 cases — up 254 from yesterday — and 2,126 deaths, up two from yesterday.
On Dec. 26, the first day of the county’s vaccinations, DiVincenzo said, at “all four sites we had a total of 692 people,” all health care workers, get their first shot. The county is using the Moderna two-dose vaccine.
Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontura, who also serves as head of the county’s Office of Emergency Management, encouraged the public to receive the vaccine when it is available to them. He acknowledged that since he and DiVincenzo “were visited by this menace, allegedly we have immunity, although I don’t trust the immunity [and] neither does he.
“So we intend to take the vaccine when it’s our turn, and we encourage everyone else to do the same. There’s some reluctance out here and I keep preaching this everywhere I go. Make sure that you understand this is safe. This is our potential way out, and we need to participate. So please…get away from your fears and come and join us and be with us.”
Livingston Mayor Rudy Fernandez acknowledged DiVincenzo for supporting “all the Essex County towns every single step of the way ever since the lockdown [when] this pandemic started. And also, you know, RWJ Barnabus has always been such a great, great partner in our community for many, many, many years.” He also encouraged residents to be inoculated. “It’s important that everybody get vaccinated. I know I will be doing it and my family will be doing it.”
After Dr. John Russo, president of the medical staff of SBMC, administered the vaccine to Maria Magno, assistant director of nursing at Essex County Hospital Center, DiVincenzo proclaimed, “Six hundred and ninety three — we only have 750,000 to go.”
Essex County has rented the Sears space for the next six months, with an extension available, DiVincenzo told TAPinto after the press conference, at a rate of $18,000 per month. The West Orange vaccine site is rented at $15,000 per month, and he said the other spaces, such as Essex County College, were rented at lower rates.
Looking around the first floor of the former department store he said, “This is a great spot for it. It’s large, people feel comfortable when they come here. I think people are very surprised when they walk in here how organized it is and how [efficient] the process is. That’s going to help people feel more comfortable — that’s why we work on this every day.”
Vaccine Information from Essex County:
Limited doses of the vaccine are available, and the State Department of Health has compiled a phased in approach to ensure the vaccine is distributed in a fair and equitable manner until larger quantities of the vaccine become available. Those who are eligible to receive the vaccine first are paid and unpaid healthcare workers who may have contact with infected patients or infectious materials and people who are at a higher risk of severe COVID-19 illness, including those over the age of 65 and those with underlying health issues.
Next to receive the vaccine will be critical populations which include, but are not limited to, healthcare workers (hospital, long-term care, home care, urgent care and clinics, dialysis centers, dental offices, funeral homes, pharmacies public health, group homes, EMS); first responders, food and agriculture workers, transportation, education and child care, energy, water and sanitation, law enforcement and government; adults at higher risk (long term care residents, people ages 65 and older, those with underlying medical conditions, immunocompromised, incarcerated, homeless shelters, group homes and other congregate settings such as psychiatric facilities); and others at high risk (communities that have disproportionately acquired or died from COVID-19, colleges and universities, people with disabilities and people who are under- or uninsured).
The general population will be vaccinated last.
This vaccination site will be open Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Residents can make appointments at www.EssexCOVID.org or by calling 973-877-8456. Vaccinations will be given in two doses. Residents making reservations to receive the vaccination will receive two appointments. It is critical that residents attend both appointments.
Residents will be asked to provide their medical insurance information and their insurance provider will be billed $16.94 for the first dose and $28.39 for the second dose. If a resident does not have insurance, the cost of the vaccine will be covered by the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Provide Relief Fund. There will be no out-of-pocket expenses charged to residents.
Residents entering the vaccination site will be pre-screened to verify they have an appointment. Those who do not have an appointment will not be allowed to receive the vaccine that day. Residents will then proceed to a registration table where they will be provided with their paperwork for their visit and receive a card to remind them about their second appointment. After being inoculated with the vaccine, residents will be required to wait 15 minutes while they are monitored for any side effects.
Social distancing guidelines will be followed at every site and areas will be sanitized on a regular basis throughout the day.
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