Essex County Executive Divincenzo joins with Black Clergy Members to Raise Awareness about COVID-19 Vaccinations

March 12, 2021April 5, 2021 R.L. Witter

Newark and Bloomfield Clergy Receive their Second Dose of COVID Vaccine

Newark, NJ – Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. hosted a vaccination event with clergy from Newark and Bloomfield to raise awareness about Essex County’s COVID vaccination program and encourage residents in black and brown communities to receive the COVID-19 vaccination during a press conference at the Essex County COVID-19 Vaccination Center at Essex County College in Newark. During the press event, Rev. Joe Carter, Pastor of New Hope Baptist Church in Newark; Rev. Dr. Joseph Hooper and Theresa Hooper from St. Luke AME Church in Newark; Rev. Dr. Kimberly Credit, formerly of Smyrna Missionary Baptist Church in Newark; Ruling Elder Warren McNeil from the Newark Presbytery; Rev. Margo Barnes from New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, and Rev. Jerry Carter, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Morristown, received their second dose of the vaccination.

Newark, NJ – Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. (left) hosted a vaccination event with clergy from Newark and Bloomfield to raise awareness about Essex County’s COVID vaccination program and encourage residents in black and brown communities to receive the COVID-19 vaccination during a press conference at the Essex County COVID-19 Vaccination Center at Essex County College in Newark. The County Executive watches as Rev. Joe Carter, Pastor of New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, received his second dose of the vaccine. With them are (from left) Essex County Deputy Chief of Staff William Payne, Commission President Wayne Richardson, Commissioner Brendan Gill and Sheriff Armando Fontoura. (Photo courtesy of Essex County)

“We want to make sure that anyone who wants to take the vaccine has access to it when their turn is called. People hold their religious leaders in high regard and often turn to their faith leaders for direction when they have concerns about things happening in their communities. By partnering with Pastor Carter and other leaders from our faith-based community, we are hoping to demonstrate to residents how safe getting the vaccination is,” DiVincenzo said. “Our efforts will only be successful if at least 70 percent of the population receives the vaccination and herd immunity is developed,” he added.

“What we see today is what happens when government and church for a partnership. The government is helping the church get what it needs done and the church is helping the county get what it needs done,” said Rev. Joe Carter, Pastor of New Hope Church in Newark. “Here we are one year later in this pandemic and the message is to vaccinate. As church people we can change our saying from ‘take your medicine and pray’ to ‘take your vaccine and pray.’ We are pastors on the front line,” he added.

As of Wednesday, March 10^th, Essex County has administered 90,774 first doses and 49,809 second doses of the Moderna vaccine, which is a total of 140,583 total doses. Essex has also given 892 doses of the J&J vaccine. Essex County opened its vaccination sites on December 26, 2020, and was the first county in New Jersey to open vaccination sites.

Essex County is operating five vaccination centers. The locations and the municipalities served at each site are as follows:

Essex County College, 303 University Avenue, Newark (Gym entrance on West Market Street): Newark, Belleville, East Orange, Irvington and Orange.
Essex County Donald M. Payne, Sr. School of Technology, 498-544 West Market Street, Newark: Newark, East Orange, Irvington and Orange. (This site will open in January 2021.)
Former Kmart building, 235 Prospect Avenue, West Orange: West Orange, Cedar Grove, Essex Fells, Montclair, Newark, Nutley and Verona.
Livingston Mall, former Sears building, 112 Eisenhower Parkway, Livingston (Entrance is in the back): Livingston, Belleville, Maplewood, Millburn, Newark, Orange and South Orange.
Essex County West Caldwell School of Technology, 620 Passaic Avenue, West Caldwell: West Caldwell, Bloomfield, Caldwell, Fairfield, Glen Ridge, Newark, North Caldwell and Roseland.

Residents of Newark will be able to make an appointment at any of the five sites because of the size of the city’s population.

Essex County College, the Kmart building and the Sears building are open Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The West Caldwell School of Technology is open Monday to Saturday from 12 Noon to 7 p.m. The Donald Payne School is open Monday to Friday from 4 to 6:30 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Residents can make appointments at www.EssexCOVID.org or by calling 973-877-8456. Vaccinations will be given in two doses. Residents making reservations to receive the vaccination will receive two appointments. It is critical that residents attend both appointments.

Essex County also has started a pilot program in Newark, East Orange, Orange, Irvington, Bloomfield and Belleville to bus 500 senior citizens a week to vaccination centers to receive their vaccines. It also has started a mobile vaccination program opening pop-up vaccination sites in churches, community centers and senior citizen buildings. The first four locations were at St. Matthew AME Church in Orange, the Essex County Branch Brook Park Cherry Blossom Welcome Center in Newark, New Hope Baptist Church in Newark and two senior citizen buildings in East Orange.

Residents will be asked to provide their medical insurance information and their insurance provider will be billed $16.94 for the first dose and $28.39 for the second dose. If a resident does not have insurance, the cost of the vaccine will be covered by the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Provide Relief Fund. There will be no out-of-pocket expenses charged to residents.

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