MORRIS COUNTY —  New Jersey is rolling out COVID-19 vaccines step-by-step to serve all adults who live, work, or study in the state.

Who is eligible for vaccination at this time?

Currently, vaccines are available to the following groups:

• • Paid and unpaid healthcare workers
  • Residents and workers of long-term care and high-risk congregate-care facilities
  • First responders including sworn law enforcement and fire professionals
  • Individuals aged over 65
  • Individuals aged 16-64 that have certain medical conditions that increase the risk of severe illness from the virus
  • Pre-K to 12 educators and staff
  • Childcare workers in licensed and registered settings
  • Beginning March 15, the following groups will be eligible to book vaccine appointments:
  • Transportation workers
  • Additional public safety workers
  • Additional high-risk individuals
  • Beginning March 29, additional frontline essential workers will be eligible to book vaccine appointments.Healthcare Personnel (Phase 1A)Paid and unpaid persons serving in health care settings who have the potential for direct or indirect exposure to patients or infectious materials, including, but not limited to:
  • Licensed healthcare professionals like doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and dentists
  • Staff like receptionists, janitors, mortuary services, laboratory technicians
  • Consultants, per diem, and contractors who are not directly employed by the facility
  • Unpaid workers like health professional students, trainees, volunteers, and essential caregivers
  • Community health workers, doulas, and public health professionals like Medical Reserve Corps
  • Personnel with variable venues like EMS, paramedics, funeral staff, and autopsy workers
  • All workers in acute, pediatric, and behavioral health hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers
  • All workers in health facilities like psychiatric facilities, Federally Qualified Health Centers, and rehabs
  • All workers in clinic-based settings like urgent care clinics, dialysis centers, and family planning sites
  • All workers in long-term care settings like nursing homes, assisted living facilities, group homes, and others
  • All workers in occupational-based healthcare settings like health clinics within workplaces, shelters, jails, colleges and universities, and K-12 schools
  • All workers in community-based healthcare settings like PACE and Adult Living Community Nursing
  • All workers in home-based settings like hospice, home care, and visiting nurse services
  • All workers in office-based healthcare settings like physician and dental offices
  • All workers in public health settings like local health departments, LINCS agencies, harm reduction centers, and medicinal marijuana programs
  • All workers in retail, independent, and institutional pharmacies
  • Other paid or unpaid people who work in a healthcare setting, who may have direct or indirect contact with infectious persons or materials, and who cannot work from home.
  • Long-Term Care Residents and Staff (Phase 1A)
  • All residents and workers of long-term care and high-risk congregate-care facilities, including:
  • Skilled nursing facilities
  • Veterans homes
  • Assisted living facilities, continuing care retirement communities, and personal care homes
  • Group homes like residential care homes, adult family homes, adult foster homes, and intellectual and developmental disabilities group homes
  • HUD 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly Program residences
  • Institutional settings like psychiatric hospitals, correctional institutions, county jails, and juvenile detention facilities (for eligible minors, e.g. 16+ years of age may be eligible for Pfizer vaccine under the emergency use authorization)

• • Other vulnerable, congregate, long-term settings>First Responders (Phase 1B)Sworn law enforcement, firefighters, and other first responders, including:
  • New Jersey State Police troopers
  • Municipal and county police officers
  • Campus police officers
  • Detectives in prosecutors’ offices and state agencies
  • State agency/authority law enforcement officers (e.g. State Park Police and Conservation Officers,
  • Palisades Interstate Parkway Officers, Human Services police, and NJTransit police)
  • Investigator, Parole and Secured Facilities Officers
  • Aeronautical Operations Specialists
  • Sworn Federal Law Enforcement Officers and Special Agents
  • Bi-State law enforcement officers (e.g. Port Authority)
  • Court Security Officers
  • Paid and unpaid members of firefighting services (structural and wildland)
  • Paid and unpaid members of Search and Rescue Units including technical rescue units and HAZMAT teams
  • Paid and unpaid firefighters who provide emergency medical services
  • Paid and unpaid members of Industrial units that perform Fire, Rescue, and HAZMAT services
  • Members of State Fire Marshal’s Offices
  • Bi-State Fire Service Personnel (e.g. Port Authority)Individuals at High Risk (Phase 1B)Individuals aged 65 and older, and individuals ages 16-64 with medical conditions, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that increase the risk of severe illness from the virus. These conditions include:
  • Cancer
  • Chronic kidney disease
  • COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
  • Down Syndrome
  • Heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies
  • Obesity (body mass index [BMI] of 30 kg/m2 or higher but < 40 kg/m2)
  • Severe Obesity (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2)
  • Sickle cell disease
  • Smoking
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • mellitus
  • Note: Individuals who are pregnant and those in an immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from solid organ transplant are also eligible but should follow CDC guidance and first discuss vaccination with their medical provider before receiving the vaccine.Educators and Childcare Workers
  • Paid and unpaid people working in pre-K through 12th-grade settings, including teachers, staff, classroom aides, bus drivers, janitors, counselors, administration staff, cafeteria workers, and substitute teachers
  • Head Start and Early Head Start program staff Any other paid or unpaid persons working in schools serving that pre-K to grade 12
  • Paid and unpaid people working in licensed or registered childcare settings, including center-based and family childcare provider

Who is eligible for vaccination next?

• Beginning Monday, March 15, the following categories are eligible for vaccination:
  • Public and local transportation workers, including bus, taxi, rideshare, and airport employees; NJ TRANSIT workers; and Motor Vehicle Commission staff;
  • Public safety workers who have not sworn law enforcement or fire professionals, including probation officers and fire safety inspectors;
  • Migrant farmworkers;
  • Members of tribal communities;
  • Individuals experiencing homelessness and those living in shelters, including domestic violence shelters.
  • In addition, on March 15, individuals with the following conditions that might be at increased risk for severe illness from the virus will be added to the list of individuals at high risk and eligible for vaccination:
  • Asthma (moderate-to-severe)
  • Cerebrovascular disease (affects blood vessels and blood supply to the brain)
  • Cystic fibrosis Hypertension or high blood pressure Neurologic conditions, such as dementia Liver disease
  • Overweight (BMI > 25 kg/m2, but < 30 kg/m2)
  • Pulmonary fibrosis (having damaged or scarred lung tissues)
  • Thalassemia (a type of blood disorder)
  • Type 1 diabetes mellitus
  • Note: Individuals who are in an immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from blood or bone marrow transplant, immune deficiencies, HIV, use of corticosteroids, or use of other immune weakening medicines are also eligible but should follow CDC guidance and first discuss vaccination with their medical provider before receiving the vaccine. Additionally, beginning on Monday, March 29, frontline essential workers in the following categories are also eligible for vaccination:
  • Food production, agriculture, and food distribution;
  • Eldercare and support;
  • Warehousing and logistics;
  • Social services support staff;
  • Elections personnel;
  • Hospitality;
  • Medical supply chain;
  • Postal and shipping services;
  • Clergy; and,
  • Judicial system.
  • NOTE: Vaccination phases are tentative and subject to change. The movement between vaccination eligibility phases is fluid. One phase may overlap with another. Not all individuals in one phase will be vaccinated before opening to additional groups. Announcements regarding vaccine eligibility for additional groups, including the general population, will be forthcoming.

Additional Information All New Jerseyans can register for the vaccine. Click here for more information on how to schedule a vaccination or register for the vaccine.COVID-19 vaccines will be made available to individuals regardless of insurance coverage status. Individuals won’t pay coinsurance, deductibles, or copayments. Click here for more information about insurance coverage and vaccines for uninsured individuals.

For more information on how vaccines work, vaccine trials, vaccine safety, click here.

MORRIS COUNTY — Governor Phil Murphy signed Executive Order No. 230, which will increase indoor capacity limits for certain businesses and increase both the general indoor and outdoor gathering limit.

“We believe we can confidently take these steps today as our COVID-19 metrics continue to trend in the right direction,” said Governor Murphy.” However, our mask mandate and COVID-19 health and safety protocols remain in effect. I am hopeful that we’ll be able to take further steps in expanding capacity responsibly and incrementally guided by public health data.”

These changes will go into effect on Friday, March 19 at 6:00 a.m., aligned with increases in capacity in Connecticut and New York.

Executive Order No. 230 will effectuate the following changes:

Indoor Businesses

The following businesses may increase indoor capacity limits from 35 percent to 50 percent, excluding the employees of the establishment:

• Indoor premises of restaurants, cafeterias, and food courts, with or without a liquor license, and bars;
• Indoor recreation, amusement, and entertainment businesses (including casinos and gyms); and
• Personal care services (barber shops, nail salons, and other personal care businesses).

These businesses must continue to abide by current health and safety protocols, including face covering and physical distancing requirements.

Indoor Gatherings

• The general indoor gathering limit will increase from 10 people to 25 people.
• Indoor gatherings that currently have a higher limit – religious services or ceremonies, political events, weddings, funerals, memorial services, or performances – will remain unchanged.

Outdoor Gatherings

• The general outdoor gathering limit will increase from 25 people to 50 people.
• Outdoor gatherings that are religious services or ceremonies, political events, weddings, funerals, or memorial services will remain unchanged by the Order.

Click here to download a copy of Executive Order No. 230.

MORRIS COUNTY — Governor Phil Murphy signed the New Jersey Foreclosure Prevention Act.

The New Jersey Foreclosure Prevention Act creates the ‘New Jersey Residential Foreclosure Prevention Program’, implementation of which will be led by the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (NJHMFA) in furtherance of the agency’s commitment to affordable housing ownership and foreclosure mediation.

This program empowers NJHMFA to address the rising number of foreclosures in New Jersey, not only helping to stabilize families’ homeownership but their neighborhood as well. By establishing public-private partnerships with nonprofits, NJHMFA will be able to undertake supportive interventions including bulk purchases of non-performing loans from institutional lenders, advancing recommendations set forth in the 2018 Report of the Housing Transition Advisory Committee.

“Combatting housing insecurity in New Jersey is essential during these extraordinarily trying times. We have an obligation to identify new and innovative ways to aid our state’s residents in this time of stress,” said Governor Murphy. “This bill provides pathways to help more New Jersey homeowners remain in their homes.”

Stable housing for New Jersey residents is a focal point of this administration. Prior to this legislation’s enactment, Governor Murphy directed NJHMFA in March of 2020 to expand its Foreclosure Mediation Assistance Program (FMAP) to include pre-foreclosure counseling to help homeowners avoid potential foreclosure, and to begin offering counseling assistance to renters. This expanded program has assisted approximately 2,163 families, comprising roughly 1,430 rental households and approximately 500 owner-occupied households.

table housing is an economic, health, and community imperative. The New Jersey Foreclosure Prevention Act is designed to help address the impacts of growing housing insecurity, from homeowners in need to communities confronting vacant and abandoned properties. By addressing these intersecting challenges, this legislation is a crucial step toward housing stability for families and communities across our state.

“The New Jersey Foreclosure Act acknowledges and seeks to assist struggling homeowners in New Jersey.  It has proven prescient as that need has grown exponentially within the last year.” “This Act and its ensuing programs will work in tandem with the State’s existing programs to help prevent our most vulnerable residents from losing their homes.”

“This legislation will help New Jersey families keep their homes and ensure that foreclosed properties reenter the homeownership market, stabilizing neighborhoods and helping families become homeowners”, said Melanie R. Walter, Executive Director, New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency. “It facilitates crucial interventions including the expansion of NJHMFA’s partnerships with Community Development Financial Institutions, creation of new mortgage products, and establishment of a revenue stream to support housing stabilization in our state.”

“New Jersey has made great strides in addressing the previous foreclosure crisis, and we do not want to see history repeat itself when the foreclosure moratorium is eventually lifted,” said Senator Singleton. “With the pandemic decimating the economy, countless people around the state are on the brink of losing their homes. Now law, the New Jersey Foreclosure Prevention Act will help to stave off a wave of foreclosures, and more importantly, keep families in their homes.”

“New Jersey is in a housing crisis and has been for many years. There are many foreclosed vacant residential properties throughout the state that are undermining the health, safety, and economic vitality of neighborhoods. They depress neighboring property values, reducing revenues for municipalities,” said Assembly sponsors Mila Jasey, Verlina Reynolds-Jackson, and Benjie Wimberly. “The New Jersey Residential Foreclosure Prevention Program will assist struggling homeowners facing foreclosure and also help with the redevelopment of currently vacant properties due to foreclosures.”

PARSIPPANY — Representative Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) today voted for the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, landmark legislation to support workers’ basic right to organize and negotiate for higher pay, better benefits, and safer working conditions.

“I know first-hand the impact a good-paying union job can have on a family. My grandfather’s union job helped my family move out of poverty and into the middle class after the Great Depression,” said Rep. Sherrill. “In North Jersey, unions are protecting workers’ rights and creating success for families just like it did for mine. But in too many places, a bitter fight for collective bargaining and organizing rights is still ongoing. The PRO Act is the most monumental effort to protect and expand those rights we’ve seen in decades. Bypassing it today, we’ve ensured that the hope for a good-paying union job is alive and well for millions of workers across the country.”

“The PRO Act will help restore our middle class by strengthening the voice of workers allowing them to negotiate better pay and working conditions. It will help eliminate ‘right to work’ laws. Laws established to benefit big businesses and the wealthy at the expense of workers. This is truly one of the most pivotal times in America’s history for workers,” said Anthony Abrantes, Organizing & Political Director for the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters.

“Workers need to be able to fight for their rights and protections. It is incumbent upon us to secure this right for all workers. The PRO Act would guarantee that as Americans we are able to engage in this type of activity without our fear of retaliation from our employers. We support it and urge Congress to think about our essential workers, and their basic protections. It is time to pass the PRO Act now,” said Kevin Brown, Executive Vice President and Director of 32BJ New Jersey.

“The PRO Act is one of the most important pieces of labor legislation we’ve seen in decades,” said Ken Simone, President of The Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Union of New Jersey Local 4. “The House passing this bill today is nothing short of a game-changer for union workers in New Jersey and for workers around the country seeking to exercise their rights to organize. Unions built the middle class and continue to fight for working people everywhere, and the PRO Act will be crucial in maintaining that legacy. This couldn’t have happened without Rep. Sherrill’s steadfast leadership in the fight to protect collective bargaining and organizing rights, and we thank her for being a strong voice for the workers of New Jersey.”

MORRIS COUNTY — NJDOT officials announced the start of a rockfall mitigation project requiring lane and shoulder closures on I-80 westbound in Rockaway, Denville, and Parsippany-Troy Hills, Morris County.

Beginning at 9:00 a.m. Wednesday, March 10, NJDOT’s contractor, Union Paving & Construction Co., Inc., is scheduled to close the right lane and shoulder on I-80 westbound between Fox Hill Road in Parsippany and Stony Brook Road in Rockaway.  This closure will allow the contractor to install a construction barrier in the shoulder creating a work zone.  Three lanes of traffic will be maintained throughout the day.

By 5 p.m. tomorrow evening, the right lane on I-80 westbound will reopen.  The shoulder will remain closed for the duration of the project.

The $3.2 million federally-funded projects will mitigate rockfall hazards in two locations on I-80 eastbound and westbound between milepost 36.78 and milepost 41.04.  It includes excavation and rock scaling, draped rockfall mesh, and riprap stone slope.  The project is anticipated to be complete by summer 2022.

The precise timing of the work is subject to change due to weather or other factors.  Motorists are encouraged to check NJDOT’s traffic information website www.511nj.org for construction updates and real-time travel information. For NJDOT news follow us on Twitter @NewJerseyDOT and our Facebook page.