Health officials in New Jersey on Wednesday reported another 3,047 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 56 additional confirmed deaths as the state prepares for further reopening steps next week, increasing capacity to 50% for indoor businesses, including restaurants, bars, gyms , casinos and personal care services at salons and spas.
Government Phil Murphy announced the latest updates during a coronavirus briefing in Trenton. In addition to the changes in business, the number of people allowed to congregate within the country will increase from 10 to 25 people, and the outer cap will double from March 19 to 50 people.
The seven-day average for newly confirmed cases is now 2,818, down 4% from a week ago and 15% from a month ago.
The nationwide transmission rate declined slightly to 1.04 from 1.05 on Tuesday. Any number of more than 1 indicates that the outbreak is growing, with each new case having at least one other case. The rate was weeks lower than 1 before rising above the mark on Thursday.
Hospitalizations rose for the second day with 1,961 patients as of Tuesday night, although almost half as low since a recent high on December 22nd.
In total, New Jersey has now reported 729,403 confirmed coronavirus cases from more than 11 million PCR tests in the year since the state reported its first case on March 4, 2020. There were also 93,414 positive antigen tests. These cases are considered likely, and health officials have warned that positive antigen tests may overlap with the confirmed PCR tests, as they are sometimes given at the same time.
The state of 9 million people reported 23,768 residents died from complications related to COVID-19, including 21,294 confirmed deaths and 2,744 deaths considered probable. The probable deaths, which are reviewed weekly, increased by 77 deaths on Wednesday.
“The toll of this virus was incredible,” Murphy said.
Vaccination sites in New Jersey administered 2.67 million doses as of Wednesday morning. This includes 1.77 million first doses and 899,000 second doses. Vaccines around New Jersey began administering the one-vaccine Johnson & Johnson vaccine last week.
New Jersey is preparing to significantly expand vaccine admissions in the coming weeks, with transportation workers on March 15 and several other essential workers, including restaurant workers, on March 29. The state also added 11 existing conditions to the March 15 fitness list. Educators and daycare workers would originally be eligible from March 15, but it was quietly moved last week and they are now eligible.
CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live card tracker | Newsletter | Home
VACCINATIONS BY COUNTRY
- ATLANTIC COUNTRY – 86 251 doses administered
- BERGEN COUNTY – 306,748 doses administered
- BURLINGTON COUNTY – 140 314 doses administered
- CAMDEN COUNTY – 158 106 doses administered
- CAPE MAY COUNTY – 40 181 doses administered
- CUMBERLAND-LAND – 37 267 doses administered
- ESSEX COUNTRY – 210 840 doses administered
- GLOUCESTER COUNTY – 99 167 doses administered
- HUDSON COUNTY – 128 263 doses administered
- HUNTERDON COUNTY – 36 343 doses administered
- TRADE COUNTRY – 89 247 doses administered
- MIDDLESEX COUNTRY – 216 582 doses administered
- MONMOUTH COUNTY – 207 063 doses administered
- MORRIS-LAND – 196 265 doses administered
- OCEAN COUNTY – 168 451 doses administered
- PASSAIC COUNTY – 119 116 doses administered
- SALEM COUNTY – 17 781 doses administered
- SOMERSET COUNTRY – 107 117 doses administered
- SUSSEX COUNTRY – 42 799 doses administered
- UNION COUNTRY – 137 344 doses administered
- WARREN-LAND – 26 966 doses administered
- UNKNOWN LAND – 27 430 doses administered
- OUTSIDE – 71,839 doses administered
COUNTRY-TO-COUNTRY AFFAIRS (sorted by most new)
- Essex County: 69,973 confirmed cases (302 new), 2,440 confirmed deaths (278 likely)
- Bergen County: 72,142 confirmed cases (301 new), 2,369 confirmed deaths (287 likely)
- Monmouth County: 54,327 confirmed cases (293 new), 1,303 confirmed deaths (130 likely)
- Ocean County: 54,287 confirmed cases (289 new), 1,775 confirmed deaths (140 likely)
- Middlesex County: 70,096 confirmed cases (268 new), 1,901 confirmed deaths (239 likely)
- Hudson County: 66,152 confirmed cases (244 new), 1,854 confirmed deaths (193 likely)
- Passaic County: 53,840 confirmed cases (203 new), 1,541 confirmed deaths (183 likely)
- Morris County: 33,741 confirmed cases (188 new), 912 confirmed deaths (232 likely)
- Union County: 50,711 confirmed cases (149 new), 1,597 confirmed deaths (211 likely)
- Burlington County: 31,871 confirmed cases (120 new), 705 confirmed deaths (58 likely)
- Somerset County: 19,517 confirmed cases (112 new), 686 confirmed deaths (104 probable)
- Gloucester County: 21,699 confirmed cases (102 new), 528 confirmed deaths (30 likely)
- Camden County: 40,430 confirmed cases (101 new), 1,100 confirmed deaths (95 likely)
- Mercer County: 26,957 confirmed cases (97 new), 846 confirmed deaths (42 likely)
- Atlantic County: 20,403 confirmed cases (60 new), 555 confirmed deaths (32 likely)
- Sussex County: 8,348 confirmed cases (35 new), 211 confirmed deaths (65 likely)
- Warren County: 6,676 confirmed cases (30 new), 198 confirmed deaths (25 likely)
- Hunterdon County: 6,624 confirmed cases (25 new), 111 confirmed deaths (54 likely)
- Cumberland County: 12,461 confirmed cases (21 new), 350 confirmed deaths (36 likely)
- Salem County: 4,336 confirmed cases (13 new), 154 confirmed deaths (12 likely)
- Cape May County: 3,816 confirmed cases (11 new), 158 confirmed deaths (28 likely)
HOSPITALIZATIONS
There was 1,961 patients admitted to the hospital with confirmed (1,823) or suspected COVID-19 cases in New Jersey’s 71 hospitals as of Tuesday night – 66 more than the night before, according to the state dashboard.
This included 408 in critical or intensive care (ten more than the previous night), with 235 on ventilators (11 less).
There was also 227 patients COVID-19 were discharged on Tuesday and 244 were admitted.
Hospitalizations peaked at more than 8,000 patients during the first wave of the pandemic in April.
SCHOOL SUBJECTS
New Jersey reported 160 coronavirus outbreaks at school, resulting in 765 cases among students, teachers and school staff, according to academic year.
The state defines school outbreaks as cases where contact detectives determined that two or more students or school staff caught or transmitted COVID-19 in the classroom or during academic activities at school. These numbers do not include students or staff who are suspected of being infected outside the school, or cases that cannot be confirmed as outbreaks in the school.
There are about 1.4 million public school students and teachers across the state, although teaching methods vary amid the outbreak, with some schools providing personalized instruction, some using a hybrid format and others being quite out of control.
Murphy said Monday that officials, who will soon be eligible teachers to get the vaccine, “schools” across New Jersey “fully expect to return to personal learning” safe and responsible “when the next school year begins in September, if not earlier.
AGE BREAKS OUT
Degraded by age, those aged 30 to 49 form the largest percentage of New Jersey residents who contracted the virus (31%), followed by those aged 50-64 (23.2%), 18-29 (19.6). %), 65 -79 (10.8%), 5-17 (8.5%), 80 and older (4.9%) and 0-4 (1.8%).
On average, the virus was more deadly to older residents, especially those with a pre-existing condition. Nearly half of COVID-19 deaths were among residents 80 and older (47.20%), followed by 65-79 (32.79%), 50-64 (15.59%), 30-49 ( 4.03%), 18-29 (0.37%), 5-17 (0%) and 0-4 (0.02%).
At least 7,923 of the COVID-19 deaths in the state were among residents and staff members at nursing homes and other long-term care facilities.
There are currently active outbreaks at 309 facilities, leading to 6099 active cases among residents and 6,214 among staff members.
GENERAL NUMBERS
As of Wednesday, there were more than 117.7 million positive COVID-19 tests worldwide, according to a running count from Johns Hopkins University. More than 2.6 million people have died from coronavirus-related complications.
The U.S. reported the most cases, more than 29 million, and the most deaths, more than 527,700.
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Matt Arco can be reached at [email protected].