Essex County reported this morning that there has been another death in Verona related to the COVID-19 pandemic. That brings Verona’s total to 19 since the county began releasing statistics on the virus in March 2020. The county does not identify the deceased or provide information on the COVID variant implicated in the person’s death or the person’s vaccination status. Verona’s previous COVID death was reported on May 5.
There have been far fewer COVID deaths in Essex County since vaccines became widely available, but they are still occurring. The countywide death toll stood at 2,869 on December 1. It has risen by 10 since then.
The death comes as Verona has been leading the county in new COVID-19 infections. With six cases reported today, since Thanksgiving, Verona has had 117 new COVID cases, an increase of more than 9%. By contrast, Caldwell had a 6.1% increase and Cedar Grove had a 6.8% increase. Montclair has had a 4.3% increase and the increase in Newark has been 3.9%. Verona also had the highest rate of new COVID infections in the county in November, at 8.3%.
Free COVID-19 vaccinations for children and adults are available to Verona residents at the former Kmart store in West Orange near Whole Foods. The site also offers booster shots. You can make an appointment here, or simply walk in. According to data from the New Jersey Department of Health, 75% of Verona residents are vaccinated.
