PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Gov. Phil Murphy said police and firefighters will be next in line to get the COVID-19 vaccine starting Thursday. The announcement was made on the day New Jersey topped a half-million total coronavirus cases.
Murphy said sworn police and fire personnel may join health care workers and nursing home residents in getting the COVID-19 vaccines.
"These are folks who have been just as much in harm's way on the front lines as many of our health care workers, and they often have been called upon for emergency medical support," he said.
State Health Secretary Judy Persichilli said there would be some overlap in the 1A and 1B groups, depending on vaccine supply.
Murphy said more than 450,000 people preregistered for the COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday, the first day the state's sign-up web page went live. The governor said capacity had been increased since the initial crush of registrations.
Murphy said so far, more than 135,000 vaccinations have been administered, but he said there was a "significant amount of underreporting."
