Most Maplewood Residents are Vaccinated — But COVID is ‘Still Not Over’, Health Officer Says – The Village Green

Maplewood Health Officer Candice Davenport revealed both good news and a warning in a presentation regarding the town’s COVID-19 situation at the July 6 Township Committee Meeting. 

The total number of COVID cases in June was just 13, but in the first six days of the month there were already nine reported cases. “COVID is still not over,” Davenport reiterated. 

She pointed to the current concerns the Board of Health is focusing on: as fall approaches, the school year begins, and more dangerous variants emerge, Davenport aims for greater vaccination rates statewide. 

Maplewood as a township is “doing great”, she said, in terms of vaccination rates. Among those eligible for a vaccination, “76% of us are fully vaccinated, with a potential total of 85%,” once those who received their first dose return for their second. Approximately 57% of Essex County residents as a whole are vaccinated.

“We are doing a good job, but we have to get better,” Davenport said, adding, “remember our herd immunity rate is about 70 – 80%.” 

Since May 10, when children 12-17 were made eligible for the vaccine, cases have gone down in that age group from 41 in March, to only two from May 11 to June 30.

However, children under the age of 12 made up 22% of cases recorded in that period — up from 11% in the first third of the year.

“COVID will find those who are unvaccinated, and they become the new cohort,” Davenport said. “The more people who are getting COVID, the more exposure they are going have to people, and then eventually what will happen is what happened last year around this time: there will be an uptick [in cases].” 

Vaccination and outreach regarding vulnerable groups are going well, she said, with the township completing 10 homebound vaccinations in June, and mailing 80 resource packages to other vulnerable and homebound residents.

Deputy Mayor Dean Dafis pointed out that local businesses are still able to require customers to be masked and to impose social distancing rules. In addition, Dafis said, residents are free to wear masks in indoor and outdoor public places if they choose, and should continue to protect themselves as they feel comfortable.