SUMMIT, NJ — At the virtual meeting of the Common Council on Wednesday, Feb. 17, vaccination discussions took center stage.
“Last time, we talked about the Community Center, which would be the place for COVID-19 vaccinations,” Mayor Nora Radest said on Feb. 17. “The vaccinations center, run by Atlantic Health Systems at the Summit Community Center, has been up and running since Monday, Feb. 8. As vaccine supplies increase, Atlantic Health will be able to schedule appointments for eligible patients.
The mayor told the council that the week before, 1,084 people had been vaccinated at the Community Center site and approximately 2,500 people were expected to be vaccinated this week. She said they were confident this number would continue to increase. Beginning on Wednesday, Feb. 17, Radest said the Department of Community Programs staff had transported senior housing residents from 12 Chestnut Street to receive their vaccinations, and she was thankful to the DCP for its assistance with getting some of our most vulnerable residents to their appointments.
“If you have not already done so,” Radest said, “register with the state of New Jersey at covid19.nj.gov. Register with Union County at ucnj.org, register with Atlantic Health at atlantichealth.org and you can register with CVS, RiteAid and ShopRite. Links to those three sites are available on the city website at cityofsummit.org/vaccine. I want to thank, again, our partners at Atlantic Health for working with us to have this partnership in Summit for our residents and people in the area, not just Summit residents.”
Atlantic Health System Public Relations Manager Rob Seman described how convenient the Summit Community Center was for COVID-19 vaccinations.
“By opening as many locations as possible throughout the communities we serve, we will make it more convenient and less challenging for people to get the COVID-19 vaccine, once they have appointments,” Seman said on Saturday, Feb. 27. “The easier we make access, the better success we will have in achieving levels of immunity throughout our communities that will help us end this pandemic.”
The Summit Community Center is a convenient, centrally located site that is able to host numerous visitors during the day, he said, and these features greatly contributed to its selection as a community vaccination site. The Community Center’s gymnasium allows for 14 socially distanced vaccination bays with Plexiglas partitions, ensuring safety for those being vaccinated. Limited parking is also being provided in city lots on Morris Avenue.
“Atlantic Health System is supporting this site with vaccines, as well as the supplies, equipment and health care professionals to administer the shots,” Seman added. “Atlantic Health System is also providing additional support, such as cleaning and signage, in order to ensure that this site provides an excellent experience for all involved. The site began administering vaccines to the community on Feb. 8.
“Our goal is to vaccinate everyone who wants to receive a vaccine, and we’re working with the city to meet the needs of vulnerable populations, following the priority guidelines outlined by the state of New Jersey,” Seman continued. “As additional phases open, we will provide updates on our website, atlantichealth.org.”
Summit’s chief communications officer, Amy Cairns, said on Saturday, Feb. 27, that the Summit Department of Community Programs is using its senior bus and van to transport senior residents to scheduled vaccination appointments with Atlantic Health System at the Community Center. Approximately 30 seniors have been transported and 60 seniors vaccinated.
“All senior residents in Summit are being encouraged to register for vaccination appointments,” she continued. “The city of Summit Department of Community Programs has been coordinating transportation for seniors who need it from the Chestnut Street residence and for seniors in public housing.”
Atlantic Health System serves communities throughout the entirety of Union County, as well as neighboring communities throughout Essex, Morris, Somerset and Middlesex counties, said Seman.
“We can only speak to the number of vaccinations we have been able to provide to the community at our own sites, which in Union County include the Summit Community Center and our own Atlantic Urgent Care at Clark,” he added. “Atlantic Health System has given out nearly 132,000 doses as of Friday, Feb. 26, at all of its vaccination sites, with a growing portion of those coming from our Clark and Summit locations.”
“We’re pleased to work with the city of Summit to be able to expand access to the COVID-19 vaccine in the heart of our host community,” Overlook Medical Center President Alan Lieber said on Saturday, Feb. 27. “Being able to provide the vaccine in more places within our communities will be key to successfully getting New Jersey vaccinated and, ultimately, ending this pandemic.”
“It’s important to keep in mind that those who are vaccinated still need to follow precautions, including masking, handwashing and social distancing,” said Seman. “Testing for COVID-19 also remains an extremely important tool in the fight to end this pandemic, and Atlantic Health System offers numerous convenient testing sites that can provide quick turnaround. For the best guidance on side effects of the vaccine, we advise people to visit this page from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/expect/after.html.”