Whoopi Goldberg, N.J. Gov. Phil Murphy visits COVID vaccination site. How to watch live today. (May 14, 2021) – NJ.com

Whoopi Goldberg will join Gov. Phil Murphy and several other local officials Friday at a coronavirus vaccination site not far from the actress’ West Orange home.

Lt. Governor Sheila Oliver, First Lady Tammy Murphy, Essex County Executive Joe DiVincenzo and the Rev. Melvin Wilson are also slated to attend the “Grateful for the Shot” event in the parking lot of the ShopRite on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard in East Orange. The city’s mayor, Ted Green, will also be on hand.

A live stream on Murphy’s YouTube.com channel starts at 12:15 p.m.

Murphy figures to be asked more about when he will follow the U.S. Centers for Disease Control’s new guidance that said the vaccinated no longer need to wear face coverings indoors in most places. A Murphy spokeswoman said an hour after the federal announcement that the governor and the state department of health are “reviewing the new CDC guidance on masking requirements.”

In neighboring Pennsylvania, health officials immediately updated their guidance to align with the CDC, according to Philly.com.

Meanwhile, even though 3,575,287 people who live, work or study in New Jersey are fully vaccinated, the number of people getting shots has fallen in recent weeks. Appointments were hard to get for months but now walk-ins are being taken almost everywhere, including at Friday’s event in East Orange.

In addition, an estimated 164,121 New Jerseyans have been vaccinated out-of-state.

The state has set a goal of having 70% of New Jersey’s adults vaccinated by the end of June. More than half of the state’s 6.9 million adults have now been fully vaccinated.

Children from ages 12 to 15 are now eligible for the Pfizer shot. Everyone 16 and older has been eligible for nearly a month.

There were 954 patients in the state’s 71 hospitals with the coronavirus or a suspected case as of 10 p.m. Thursday, the fewest since Oct. 24. Officials say 224 patients were getting critical care with 157 on ventilators.

Hospitalizations have dropped about 75% since the second wave peak of 3,873 on Dec. 22.

Murphy reported 820 COVID-19 cases and 26 more deaths on Thursday.

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NJ Advance Media staff writer Brent Johnson contributed to this report.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com.