TRENTON (KYW Newsradio) — With more COVID-19 vaccine appointments opening up, New Jersey has planned more outreach efforts to convince more people to get the shot.
As COVID-19 vaccine supply and demand start to even out, Governor Phil Murphy said the state is going to be doing more to fight vaccine hesitancy.
“I think we're at the beginning of a phase where we need to be proactive," said Murphy, without disclosing specifics. "Not just like the steps we took with seniors 75 and up and then 65 and up which clearly worked, but we're going to need to be much more offensive."
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With 2.6 million people fully vaccinated, Murphy said New Jersey is more than halfway to its goal of inoculating 70 percent of the adult population.
He explained how the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund, chaired by First Lady Tammy Murphy, is funding research into why people are reluctant to roll up their sleeves.
The governor said state health department polling indicates more than 70 percent want the vaccine, so more outreach is being planned.
As for easing more restrictions, Murphy said New Jersey is not planning to lift them all at once the way neighboring Connecticut is planning to do.
“We're going to continue to open up incrementally, and if we think there's an opportunity to be something to do something bolder than incremental, we’ll do it,” Murphy said. “But the numbers just don't suggest, our reality does not suggest that at the moment.”
He also explained he’d have updated guidance on rules for graduations and other activities by the middle of next week.