"This is a historic day," said AtlantiCare President and CEO Lori Herndon as the hospital was among the first six in the state to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
The 55 workers who got their first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at the hospital's City Campus included those who work in the Emergency Department, Critical Care, Pharmacy, Environmental Services, Psychiatry and Trauma.
As the vaccine clinics continue, workers at AtlantiCare's Mainland Campus, Satellite Emergency Department in Hammonton and its 12 Urgent Care sites in the southern part of the state will also receive shots.
Herndon encouraged other healthcare workers to get the vaccine.
"This is our time to stand up and be role models for our community," she said, calling Tuesday "the day that brings so much hoe to all of us as we've been doing our best and being on the front line of this pandemic."
The vaccine came to local healthcare workers as Atlantic County announced another 184 confirmed cases Tuesday.
There were also two new deaths attributed to the virus: a 58-year-old man from Atlantic City man and a 66-year-old Galloway Township man.
The younger man had pre-existing conditions and resided in a long-term care facility, health officials said.
The first half of December has seen a significant increase in confirmed positive cases, with six days bringing announcements of 200 cases or more.
The county has had 12,096 confirmed cases with 5,184 confirmed recoveries. The recovery number could be much higher, but county health officials have not been able to follow-up with all of them.
The county has had 305 COVID-related deaths.
TOTAL BREAKDOWN BY MUNICIPALITY
