“Mega site” will offer COVID-19 vaccine to eligible health care workers and first responders
ROCKAWAY TOWNSHIP, NJ – January 8, 2021 – Today the County of Morris and Atlantic Health System joined New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy in a huge step forward in the fight against COVID-19 by officially opening the doors to the Morris County Regional COVID-19 Vaccination Center. This facility, housed in a former Sears store at the Rockaway Townsquare Mall, will eventually deliver thousands of doses of vaccine a week in accordance with the phased eligibility system provided by the State of New Jersey.
Currently open to all phase 1A health care workers, law enforcement officers and firefighters, the COVID-19 Vaccination Center or “mega site” will deliver vaccinations using the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine. Reservations will be made using an on-line registration form, a link to which can be found at the Atlantic Health System website. Appointments for second doses will be made on-site (the Moderna vaccine requires a second dose approximately four weeks after the initial dose).
“The arrival of safe and effective vaccines represents a landmark moment in our fight against COVID-19, making this center a place of hope and healing for our entire region,” said Brian Gragnolati, President and CEO, Atlantic Health System. “On behalf of patients and caregivers across New Jersey, I want to thank Governor Murphy and Morris County leaders for their tremendous support and partnership. Together, we are taking the next big step forward in protecting our friends, neighbors and communities. I encourage everyone to take advantage of the opportunity to receive their vaccinations as soon as they are eligible.”
“This is a tremendous logistical undertaking by Morris County in partnership with Atlantic Health System and the State of New Jersey. Our Offices of Public Health and Emergency Management worked tirelessly through the holiday season with Atlantic Health to identify and transform an empty retail space into a large scale, safe, secure regional vaccination facility,” said Stephen H. Shaw, Director of the Morris County Board of County Commissioners. “Morris County remains steadfast in its commitment to allocate the resources necessary to protect the public health. We anticipate being able to inoculate as many as 2,400 individuals daily at this facility. Our thanks go out to Atlantic Health for its contributions of staff and assets, Governor Murphy for his support, everyone in our Offices of Public Health and Emergency Management, the National Guard, our Sheriff and all the healthcare workers who have made this possible.”
The first floor, 30,000 square feet of the former Sears store, was converted from shuttered retail space to a vaccination mega site in less than four weeks. Initially able to administer one thousand doses per week (contingent on vaccine supply), the Regional COVID-19 Vaccination Center will be open from 7:00am to 2:00pm, Monday through Friday. The goal is to eventually be able to administer 2,400 doses per day (contingent on vaccine supply), from 7:00am to 7:00pm, seven days a week.
To help ensure the safety of everyone inside, the building features 16 air purifiers that turn over the air every nine minutes. An estimated 100 county workers, Atlantic Health team members, sheriff’s officers and National Guard are on site today and their ranks are expected to expand to 150 when the center is at full capacity (contingent on vaccine supply).
The Morris County Regional COVID-19 Vaccination Center is one of six mega sites planned for New Jersey, with other locations in Gloucester County (Rowan College of South Jersey in Sewell – also scheduled to open today), East Rutherford (The Meadowlands), Edison (New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center), Burlington County (The Moorestown Mall) and Atlantic City (The Atlantic City Convention Center).
To learn how to sign up for an appointment at the Morris County Regional COVID-19 Vaccination Center, visit www.atlantichealth.org/covidvaccine.
About Atlantic Health System
Atlantic Health System is at the forefront of medicine, setting standards for quality health care in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and the New York metropolitan area. Powered by a workforce of almost 17,000 team members and 4,800 affiliated physicians dedicated to building healthier communities, Atlantic Health System serves more than half of the state of New Jersey including 11 counties and 4.9 million people. The system offers more than 400 sites of care, including seven hospitals: Morristown Medical Center in Morristown, NJ, Overlook Medical Center in Summit, NJ, Newton Medical Center in Newton NJ, Chilton Medical Center in Pompton Plains, NJ, Hackettstown Medical Center in Hackettstown, NJ, Goryeb Children’s Hospital in Morristown, NJ, and Atlantic Rehabilitation Institute in Madison, NJ.
Atlantic Medical Group, comprised of 1,000 physicians and advanced practice providers, represents one of the largest multi-specialty practices in New Jersey and joins Atlantic Accountable Care Organization and Optimus Healthcare Partners as part of Atlantic Alliance, a Clinically Integrated Network of more than 2,500 health care providers throughout northern and central NJ.
Atlantic Health System provides care for the full continuum of health care needs through 16 urgent care centers, Atlantic Visiting Nurse and Atlantic Anywhere’s Virtual Visits. Facilitating the connection between these services on both land and air is the transportation fleet of Atlantic Mobile Health.
Atlantic Health System leads the Healthcare Transformation Consortium, a partnership of seven regional hospitals and health systems dedicated to improving access and affordability and is a founding member of the PIER Consortium – Partners in Innovation, Education, and Research – a streamlined clinical trial system that will expand access to groundbreaking research across seven health systems in New Jersey.
Atlantic Health System has a medical school affiliation with Thomas Jefferson University and is home to the regional campus of the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Morristown and Overlook Medical Centers and is the official health care partner of the New York Jets.