Township of Monroe News

MESSAGE MAYOR STEPHEN M. DALINA

As we all know firsthand, millions of New Jersey residents have been told they qualify for a vaccine, but little vaccine is available.  Reports indicate that several million people have pre-registered on waiting lists, yet New Jersey is scheduled to receive just 130,000 doses of vaccine for each of the next three weeks.  Clearly, we will all need to be patient as we wait for more vaccines to become available.   

But I have little to no patience for the way the current state vaccination scheduling system is serving our residents.  Please know I am speaking out along with the Council, on behalf of residents to improve the system.  See my letter from yesterday. https://www.monroetwp.com/index.php/news/36-news-flash/936-coronavirus-community-update.

There is nothing more important to me than the effort to vaccinate our residents.

Sincerely, Mayor Dalina

VACCINE SUPPLY VERY LIMITED;

APOINTMENTS DEPENDENT ON SUPPLY 

WHO IS ABLE TO GET THE VACCINE RIGHT NOW?

Healthcare workers, sworn first responders (police & fire), Long Term Care residents and staff.

Individuals at High Risk –

• Individuals aged 65 and older
• Individuals ages 16-64 with medical conditions 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, Obesity, Severe Obesity, Sickle cell disease, Smoking, Type 2 diabetes mellitus, immunosuppressed and solid organ transplants.

REGISTER ON THE STATE WEBSITE

Register on the NJ State Website at https://covidvaccine.nj.gov.  Once registered, you will receive a scheduling email that CONFIRMS your registration. When an opening becomes available at one of the state vaccination sites, you will receive an email that lets you schedule an appointment through the NJ Vaccination Scheduling System.

Last Friday, the Middlesex County Office of Health Services, Middlesex County Office of Emergency Management and the Middlesex County Sheriff Department launched one of their six regional, county operated vaccination sites at the Monroe Township Senior Center.  Activity at these six sites will be subject to vaccine availability.

Appointments for this location were generated from the State of NJ Vaccine Scheduling System. Currently, NJ, like many other states, is struggling to get doses from the federal government. There are many more eligible persons than there are available doses of the vaccine.

Today, the State of NJ today has opened a HOTLINE to assist residents. If you do not have a computer with an email address, need assistance scheduling an appointment, or if a caregiver is assisting you, please call the following hotlines for live assistance. Call volume is high, please be patient.

NJ STATE HOTLINE: Free telephone hotline with live operators to answer questions in multiple languages and help people sign up. The call center — at 855-568-0545 — is slated to be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week. https://covidvaccine.nj.gov/

MIDDLESEX COUNTY CALL CENTER: Questions about Middlesex County operated vaccine sites can be directed to the county-operated Call Center at 732-745-3100.  Specific county COVID sites information is available at http://www.middlesexcountynj.gov/covid19​.

Stay safe,

Michael J. Biennas, Chief, MTPD                     

Coordinator, Office of Emergency Management

Councilman Serves as Mayor Until Special Election in November

MONROE TOWNSHIP – January 21, 2021 – Councilman Stephen Dalina has been appointed as mayor of Monroe Township. 

Dalina and his family have been active members of the Monroe Township community for more than two decades.  He was elected councilman at-large in 2011 and served as council president from 2017 through 2019.

A special election will be held in November to elect the candidate who will fill the unexpired term of the late Mayor Gerald W. Tamburro, who passed away on December 30. 

The Monroe Township Democratic Committee submitted three candidates and the Township Council selected Dalina.

Dalina took the oath of office during the council’s January 20 meeting, pledging to continue to fulfill the objectives that Tamburro established when he was re-elected in November 2019.