TRENTON, N.J. (KYW Newsradio) — New Jersey has launched a new web tool to help residents find COVID-19 vaccine appointments. Gov. Phil Murphy says the new web page should allow residents to search for available appointments from a single site.
"This new tool aggregates information across multiple scheduling platforms multiple times an hour, letting you know where appointments are open and directing you on how you can make one for yourself," Murphy said.
"As our vaccine supply increases over the next few weeks, you will see many more available appointments show up on this website."
At a Trenton news conference Wednesday, Murphy reported nearly 4,600 new daily cases and 44 additional deaths. State Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli said New Jersey is seeing "another wave" of infections. She said over the last two weeks, new hospitalizations were up 28%, with the largest increase among those aged 40 to 49.
The state health department also presented two models of how COVID-19 could spread in the coming months.
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The worst-case model assumes that, if people let their guard down and gather without masks and social distancing, New Jersey will peak at more than 8,000 infections a day in mid-May with more than 3,500 people hospitalized.
"Under this scenario, we’re in for a long, hot summer," Murphy said.
The moderate-case scenario, which the governor believes is more likely, would see a peak on April 18, with 5,400 daily cases and nearly 2,700 people hospitalized.
"These are models. They’re not certainties," Murphy said. "We can change them through our behavior."
Murphy said, even with the current growth in new cases, he’s not planning any new restrictions.
"I’m hoping we do not have to do any of that further tightening," he said. "To the contrary, I hope we can continue to make methodical incremental steps to reopen."
Murphy said he understands there is fatigue, but he said people need to realize the pandemic is not over.