NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ – It was a hot summer day in June, and groups of Phil Murphy’s COVID Corps wearing their blue vests and armed with clipboards and brochures were going door to door in the downtown area of the city to push the message of vaccinations across the town.
The same scenario played out all across New Jersey as hundreds of COVID cops, dubbed by New Jersey Govenor Phil Murphy as the COVID Corps began pounding the pavement to encourage New Jersey’s unvaccinated masses to roll up their sleeves and take the shot.
Now, Joe Biden wants to start a national COVID community corps to go door to door.
The initiative was part of the Department of Health’s June “Month of Service”. Now, the COVID Community Corps is continuing past the month of service, assisting the state with COVID-19 vaccination popups, clinics and helping the Governor and the Department of Health get the message out about the importance of vaccinations.
In late June, Murphy announced he created a “COVID-19 Community Corps” and that the corps will knock on 134,000 doors and make 60,000 phone calls to residents in towns that are lagging behind on COVID-19 vaccinations.
“We’re not stopping,” Murphy said.
The COVID-19 Community Corps was mobilized in an operation to increase vaccinations in shore towns, inner cities, and other areas where there is either resistance to the vaccines or lack of information and availability. The door-to-door solicitors, according to the state will receive just one hour of online video training before being sent on their way their vests and clipboards.
You can watch that training video here if you wish to become a member.
“As part of our Operation Jersey Summer, we have our COVID-19 Community Corps working door-to-door across a bunch of communities, municipalities to make sure everyone not only has the facts they need to make the right decision about getting vaccinated but that they know where to get vaccinated,” Murphy added. “Our COVID-19 community core team have knocked on more than 134,000 doors – incredible, right – in addition to making nearly 60,000 phone calls and texts.”
In addition to the Jersey shore, the COVID-19 Community Corps will be this week in Jersey City, Bayonne, North Bergen, West New York, Hoboken, and Union City in Hudson County, Passaic, and Paterson in Passaic, Newark, East Orange, Irvington in Essex County, Perth Amboy, New Brunswick, Piscataway, Old Bridge, Woodbridge in Middlesex County, Camden and Gloucester in Camden County, Vineland and Cumberland, Trenton right here, Atlantic City in Atlantic, Howell in Middletown, my hometown, in Monmouth, Lakewood, Toms River, Brick, and Jackson in Ocean Counties.
“As we promised, we’re not stopping. Just because we got to our goal, we have the hammer dropped. I thank each and every person walking their communities to help us get the word out that the vaccines are safe, effective, and free,” Murphy said.