Mountainside hospital is closing its coronavirus vaccine clinic on Jan. 7 to allow “the hospital to reallocate resources and staffing to other areas in the facility,” Marketing Director Chiara Marababol says.
“With COVID-19 vaccines readily available at several local pharmacies, megasites and through Hackensack Meridian Health, the decision was made to close the hospital’s vaccine clinic,” Marababol wrote. “Mountainside is currently at red visitation status, therefore we are limiting entry to the facility for the health and safety of our patients, team members and community.”
New Jersey, like the nation, is seeing a major surge in cases prompted at least in part by the omicron variant of the virus. All 21 New Jersey counties are considered areas of “very high” coronavirus activity in the state Department of Health’s weekly COVID-19 Activity Level Report; the map is entirely red. The township health department is seeing daily new case levels about 30 to 40 times as high as it did in early November.
Montclair has outpaced the state in vaccinations. About 79% of township residents of any age are fully vaccinated, according to the state Department of Health. Only about 70% of residents statewide are.
Marababol said patients can still make appointments at other Hackensack Meridian Health locations by visiting Hackensackmeridianhealth.org/COVID19. They can also find vaccine providers at vaccines.gov.
There are several other opportunities to be vaccinated in and near Montclair.
Vaccines are available at local CVS pharmacies. Appointments can be scheduled through CVS website.
Essex County continues to provide vaccinations — first, second and booster shots — at the former Kmart building in West Orange, located at 235 Prospect Ave.; at Essex County College at 177 West Market Street in Newark; and at the former Livingston Mall Sears, at 112 Eisenhower Parkway. Appointments can be scheduled at EssexCOVID.org.
The county also releases a schedule of upcoming mobile vaccination events at EssexCOVID.org each week.