For more than 12 months now, the entire world has had to deal with COVID-19 in one way or another. Somehow, in some way, COVID impacted our lives to one degree or another. Now that several vaccines hit the market, we see more and more people become vaccinated. That will help restore some sort of normalcy to our crazy lives. Over the past couple of weeks, state officials released new NJ COVID info that should answer some of your questions.
NJ COVID Info for March 2021
Vaccination Information
For this initial COVID vaccine rollout, everyone receives the vaccine free of charge. To ensure that the vaccine gets to the most vulnerable people first, it will be doled out in phases. As of the writing of this post, the following people are eligible for the vaccine right now:
- Healthcare workers
- Long-term care/congregate care facility residents and workers
- First responders
- Anyone aged 65+
- Anyone between the ages of 16 and 64 with certain medical conditions (obesity, diabetes, etc.)
- Teachers and staff for Pre-K to 12th grade students
- Childcare workers (licensed/registered settings only)
On March 15th, officials plan on including even more people (with restrictions) into the vaccine pool. For more information, please visit New Jersey’s COVID-19 website here.
Venues Open Up for In-Person Gatherings (NJ COVID Info Update)
Religious facilities (all faiths) may now allow in-person services for up to 50% of the facility’s capacity. Up to two parents/guardians may attend college sporting events as spectators. Large venues (5,000 seats or more) may allow up to 10% of their indoor capacity and 15% of their outdoor capacity. Non-religious indoor weddings, funerals, and memorial services should be limited to 35% of the room’s capacity but no more than 150 people. General smaller indoor gatherings must remain limited to 10 people at a time. General outdoor gatherings are limited to 25 people. Social distancing rules always apply. For more information about indoor and outdoor gathering limitations, visit New Jersey’s COVID-19 website here.
Small Business PPE Discounts
Small businesses have been devastated by this global pandemic. Most owners are more than happy to adhere to CDC guidelines to keep themselves, their employees, and their patrons safe. But it costs money to keep PPE on hand for your employees. Businesses with 100 employees or fewer receive up to 65% off purchases of PPE equipment. Simply visit the NJ PPE Access Program’s website to find a participating retailer and apply your discount.
To stay up-to-date on all COVID-related information, please visit (and bookmark) New Jersey’s COVID-19 information website. Wash your hands. Wear your mask. Keep your distance. We’ll get through this together.
Sherri Lilienfeld, Apex Prime Realty, Your Source for Jersey Shore Real Estate