Gov. Murphy: Biden Transition Must Begin To Get Vaccines To NJ

NEW JERSEY — Gov. Phil Murphy said Monday that President-elect Joe Biden’s administration must begin its transition sooner than later to bring a COVID-19 virus vaccine into New Jersey.

During an afternoon press conference, Murphy noted that the Garden State cannot respond to the crisis alone, and that full cooperation and partnership with the federal government is necessary to combat COVID-19’s resurgence.

“To help ensure that partnership remains strong, Commissioner Judy Persichilli and I sent a letter to Emily Murphy — no relation, in case you’re wondering — administrator of the General Services Administration in Washington, imploring her to immediately sign the paperwork necessary for President-elect Biden and his team to begin in earnest the transition process, which right now also includes sharing public health information vital to our national response,” Murphy said.

Murphy also added that Trump lawyers' attempts to overturn the election results and delay the transition were a "national embarrassment." Read more: Trump's Legal Team 'National Embarrassment:' Ex-Gov. Christie

Murphy made his remarks days after he said New Jersey is developing a plan that could deliver vaccines to New Jersey as early as mid-December. Front-line workers would likely to be the first to get them.

But the lack of coordination between the outgoing Trump administration and the incoming Biden administration could cause a holdup in the distribution of the vaccines, he said. Read more: Gov. Murphy: NJ May Get First Coronavirus Vaccines By Christmas

“We’re not going to be improvising on this, and we cannot have the incoming Biden administration hamstrung because of politics,” Murphy said. “We need this entire process to be methodical and deliberate. That’s how we’re planning here in New Jersey, and we need to see the same seriousness and focus in Washington.

"The election is over. Record numbers of people are contracting COVID, and thousands dying every single day across our country, and we have to stop playing politics with their lives … the time for politics has passed. The time for coming together to save lives is now.”

In his remarks, Murphy also noted 3,592 new cases, with 309,588 total cases in the state since the pandemic began. The latest spot positivity rate was over 8.65 percent, and the rate of transmission is 1.32.

There are currently 2,693 people in hospitals, with 247 patients discharged and 333 new patients admitted Sunday. Sunday saw 21 deaths in hospitals, and 537 patients were in critical care, with 240 of those patients on ventilators.

There were 11 confirmed COVID-19 related deaths Sunday, bringing the total deaths in the state to 14,960 along 1,812 probable deaths.

This is a developing story. Patch will have more information as it comes in.

During the Monday conference, Persichilli also cited a recent Rutgers-Eagleton poll concluding that 4 in 10 residents are “somewhat” reluctant to get vaccinated, even if an FDA-approved vaccine is available.

“Vaccination is an important step to prevent this illness and its potentially devastating consequences. The early news of the effectiveness of these vaccines means that there may be light at the end of the tunnel,” Persichilli said.

“Building public confidence in a safe and effective vaccine is essential to reaching our goal of vaccinating 70 percent of the adult population in New Jersey in a six-month time frame. That’s about 4.7 million individuals.”

Murphy also mentioned that he would be willing to be one of the first to receive a vaccine in order to bolster public confidence, as long as the opportunity wouldn’t be taken away from an eligible health care worker.

“I don’t want to prevent even one single health care worker from getting her or his vaccine, but if we believe that it would add to the ultimate take-up, getting as close to Judy’s 70 percent objective, I would be more than happy to be first in line,” Murphy said.

The commissioner also announced that the state is creating a public awareness campaign aimed at educating residents about the scientific process of vaccine development “to get residents more comfortable in receiving it.”

Until then, Persichilli stressed masking, social distancing and COVID-19 virus testing as critical tools to combat the spread of the virus, even during the Thanksgiving holiday.

“We urge you, if you haven’t done so already, to plan for a small, immediate family gathering on Thursday, again, only with those in your bubble, in your immediate household,” Murphy added. “If you’re gonna get together with a bigger group — and I beg you not to do that — please do it only outside, where social distancing can be better ensured so you can better protect your loved ones from this deadly virus.”

This article originally appeared on the Holmdel-Hazlet Patch