Get your first COVID-19 vaccine shot by Sunday, July 4th to be eligible for a free season State Parks Vax Pass, good for entrance at any State park for the rest of 2021. Go to nj.gov/vaxandvisit to register for your State Parks Vax Pass and you will receive an email with your pass. Once you have your pass, you can go to any State park and get free entry.

All New Jersey public school districts are expected to provide full-time, in-person instruction for the upcoming school year. This week, New Jersey released health and safety recommendations that include guidance about masks, social distancing, health screening, testing, and vaccines for staff and students.

This week, Governor Murphy signed the Fiscal Year 2022 Appropriations Act into law, setting a budget for the coming year. The new State budget advances an inclusive pandemic recovery by allocating funds to small business relief, child care, schools, and Level 1 Trauma Centers. The budget makes New Jersey more affordable by delivering historic levels of school funding, providing substantial tax relief for working- and middle-class families, expanding healthcare coverage, and investing in economic growth and small businesses. The plan also includes a record pension payment, debt reduction, and critical infrastructure investments.

If you are a New Jersey resident in need of help with your rent, you can still apply for Phase II of the COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program. The program devotes approximately $353 million to rental assistance for low- and moderate-income households that have been financially impacted by the pandemic, including those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

In addition to the tenants themselves, landlords or advocates may apply on behalf of tenants, with the tenant’s permission.

Do you or someone you love have questions about what to expect at a vaccine appointment? Yesterday, we sent a note with information to help you understand what will happen when you get your vaccine. You may find it helpful to forward on to a friend or family member who has questions about how the process works.

Remember, you can find a vaccine location near you at covid19.nj.gov/finder and information on community vaccination pop-up events at covid19.nj.gov/communitycalendar.

The NJ Department of Health continues to update its weekly “Vax Matters” newsletter. Last week’s issue highlighted the work of vaccination ambassadors to bring the vaccine closer to where people are in select municipalities in high-risk counties. The newsletter also shared updates on the COVID Community Corps and the New Jersey Vaccine Call Center. A PDF copy of the most recent issue is available below.