A number of nursing homes across New Jersey are still waiting to receive shipments of COVID-19 vaccines, including Atlas Rehab and Healthcare in Maywood.

So far, 8,000 nursing home patients have received the vaccine. However, there are 17,000 long-term facilities in New Jersey. Residents of long-term care facilities and health care workers are in the same category to get the vaccine first.

It’s partly because nursing home vaccinations started nearly two weeks after health care workers. The New Jersey Department of Health had missed a deadline to fill out forms, adding to the delay.

Atlas Rehab and Healthcare in Maywood currently has five cases of COVID-19 among its residents and five within the staff. There's a total of 200 people at the center and all are waiting to get vaccinated, which may take another week and a half.

"The hope was we get it as early as possible and I know some facilities have started receiving it," says Phil Bak, the founder and CEO of Atlas Healthcare. "You know we're thankful they did make nursing homes a priority."

Baka sys when the vaccine arrives a week from Friday, he anticipates nearly everyone will be willing to get it.