Amid this recent surge of COVID-19 cases, Essex County responded to the growing demand for tests and vaccinations over the weekend.

The county set up a vaccination clinic in the Ironbound section of Newark.

County Executive Joseph Divicenzo says the crowd that got vaccinated was a good sign with younger people increasingly part of the story as school is set to begin in less than a month.

Divicenzo stressed the school situation cannot be like it was last year.

"The biggest problem we have now with the delta variant is that it's affecting young people, so we're encouraging everyone 12 and over to get vaccinated," Divicenzo said.

He added that there needs to be a push for vaccinations before school starts on Sept. 2.