With approximately 76 percent of adults in Camden County having already received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and as demand for vaccine services among unvaccinated residents decreases, the Camden County Vaccination Center located on the Blackwood Campus of Camden County College will cease operations beginning July 1.
Staff from the Camden County Health Department, along with its healthcare partners at Cooper University Health Care, Jefferson Health New Jersey, and Rutgers University School of Nursing, will continue to provide vaccinations at pop-up and mobile clinics throughout the month of July and beyond.
The Camden County Board of Commissioners, Cooper University Health Care and Jefferson Health – New Jersey opened the vaccination site in January 2021, focusing first on getting first responders and essential workers vaccinated, before opening appointments and making vaccinations available to the public broadly. In six months, more than 103,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine were administered at the site.
“The Commissioner Board remains committed to getting every last Camden County resident vaccinated and protected from this insidious disease, but the fact is that those who remain unvaccinated are showing little interest in taking advantage of this site, and our outreach strategy has to continue to adapt to meet that reality,” said County Commissioner Director Louis Cappelli, Jr.
“This virus has shown a proclivity to ebb and flow with the seasons. While we do not expect to see a spike in viral activity on the scale we did last winter thanks to the large portion of our residents who are vaccinated, we will maintain the capacity to reopen the vaccine site at a moment’s notice should it become necessary.”
Additionally, the Salvation Army Kroc Center located at 1865 Harrison Avenue in Camden City, which has been providing vaccines to Camden residents, will reduce its hours of operation to one day per week beginning on July 8, in response to reduced demand for services.
Beginning July 8, the site will be open every Thursday from 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
The increasing share of county residents who have received the COVID-19 vaccine, and the falling rate of coronavirus transmission in the region, has also led to a substantial decrease in the demand for COVID-19 testing services. As a result, the drive-thru testing site located at the Cherry Hill Campus of Camden County College will cease operations on July 3.
The testing site located in the Camden County Improvement Authority garage will continue operating seven days per week (Monday through Friday: 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday: 8 a.m. to noon).
“In addition to the services still being provided by the Commissioner Board and our partners, testing and vaccinations remain readily available in community pharmacies, hospitals, and from other local providers,” Cappelli said.
“If you have not been vaccinated yet, I strongly urge you to find a provider and get your shot as soon as possible. With news of dangerous new variants being increasingly identified among positive cases, we don’t know where the trajectory of this pandemic is headed. Do not leave yourself vulnerable for a day longer.”
To date, approximately 288,773 Camden County residents have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, while 260,616 have been fully vaccinated.
Information regarding Camden County’s COVID-19 response and available resources is available by visiting camdencounty.com. Residents should frequently check the county webpage and social media for up-to-date information.
