December 28, 2020 — A group of New Jersey fishing businesses and organizations sent a letter to New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy this month urging him to keep the seafood industry’s workers as a high-priority group for COVID-19 vaccinations.
Seafood employees, like others in the food processing industry, are considered essential workers. According to guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that group falls in Phase 1b, along with public transit employees, first responders as well as teachers and other school staff.
Those federal guidelines, though, stand just as a recommendation as the states will be making the call on who gets priority. New Jersey’s COVID-19 vaccination plan calls for defining the essential workers group in early 2021.
The state says it plans to follow the CDC recommendations, but it’s expected there will be more intended recipients than available vaccines. With that anticipated shortage, officials believe they’ll need to prioritize within the Phase 1b grouping.