North Bergen has issued over 40,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines to residents, according to the township. The number includes vaccinations administered through the local site as well as other sites that the Health Department administers through a shared services agreement.
Under the leadership of Health Officer Janet Castro, the township site opened in January along with partner sites in Union City, Secaucus, Weehawken and Harrison. Those sites are now open to residents 16 and older for Pfizer vaccines, and 18 or older for Moderna.
“I’m incredibly proud of the work that Janet Castro and her team have done to protect North Bergen residents as well as our neighbors in other nearby communities by efficiently administering over 40,000 vaccines,” said Mayor Nicholas Sacco. “The shared service agreement we created to administer Health Department services in Union City, Secaucus, Weehawken and Harrison has been tested like we never envisioned over the past year, and it’s clear that it not only saves taxpayers money, it has helped keep Hudson County safe.”
North Bergen is vaccinating eligible residents at the recreation center at 6300 Meadowview Ave. Residents can register at northbergenvaccine.org.
They will be added to a waitlist and notified as soon as an appointment is available. For problems accessing the portal, for language assistance, or to be put on a waiting list, call 201-392-2084.
North Bergen has been vaccinating teachers and education staff ahead of the school district’s return to classrooms this month.
Case count
While the vaccine rollout continues, COVID-19 cases in the township have been trending upward. However, the number of total cases has dropped to 11,388 as of April 11. According to the township, the number was adjusted downward following a recent Department of Health audit. In comparison, as of April 5, there were 11,672 cases.
The Braddock Park testing site is open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday from 12 to 6 p.m., offering COVID-19 nasal swabs and antibody testing.
Two free testing sites are available by appointment only with proof of residency. Call the Walk-in Urgent Care Center, 7405 Bergenline Ave., at (201) 636-6763; call Diligent Medical Care, 3725 Liberty Ave., at (201) 834-8887; or text COVID to (973) 447-3559.
North Bergen provides free masks to residents upon request. Call 201-392-2157 or email NBCares@northbergen.org.
Residents are urged to wear masks, maintain social distance, and wash hands often and thoroughly.
For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at disrael@hudsonreporter.com.