Health officials in New Jersey on Thursday reported 5,967 newly confirmed cases of coronavirus and 94 additional deaths as the state extended vaccination freedom to another 4 million people for the first time.
The state of 9 million residents now lost 20,253 residents during the COVID-19 outbreak – 18,162 confirmed deaths and 2,091 considered probable. New Jersey has already announced 1,063 confirmed deaths this month after 1890 in December.
Government Phil Murphy has announced the latest update on Twitter. The state’s next coronavirus briefing is expected in Trenton on Friday.
The nationwide rate of COVID-19 transmission remained the same on Thursday at 1.10. A transmission rate of more than 1 indicates that the outbreak is growing.
The seven-day average for newly confirmed cases is 5,630, slightly lower than the new high a day earlier, but 17% higher than a week ago and 13% a month ago.
Across the country, hospitalizations for the virus declined on Thursday after a three-day increase. Hospitalizations remain well below the more than 8,000 patients from the peak of the first wave in the spring, although health officials are worried that a recent increase in cases is likely to be felt in hospitals next week and in February.
The positivity rate for tests available on Saturday, the latest day, was 13.53% from 25,913 tests. The positivity rate has been 10% or higher since December 22nd.
New has now reported 549,840 confirmed cases out of more than 8.4 million tests administered since officials announced the first case on March 4th. There were also 59,881 positive fast antigen tests, which the state began reporting to the public last week, although the state warned that could overlap with the confirmed PCR tests.
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VACCINATIONS
New Jersey has received 654,900 doses of coronavirus vaccines, according to figures tracked by the CDC. Government officials reported that 287,840 doses were administered – including 253,775 first doses and 33,898 second doses, according to the state’s COVID-19 dashboard. (There are some doses recorded without a dose number, which results in the totals not matching.)
The state has faced criticism for implementing vaccinations too slowly. Officials stress that there may be an underestimation in the number of vaccines administered as a result of delays, and that New Jersey, like other states, is dependent on the federal government for its supply.
Murphy announced Wednesday that people over the age of 65, as well as people with chronic health conditions and smokers, are eligible.
Officials said doses should be available to the general public by April or May. Health officials said they wanted to vaccinate 70% of its adult population – about 4.7 million people – by the end of May.
Over the past few days, the state has opened the first two of its six planned “mega-sites” for mass vaccinations. Vaccines are also currently available at 128 locations across the state, including local health departments, ShopRite stores and pharmacies.
More than 1.2 million people have registered to get their vaccine when they become eligible from Wednesday.
COUNTRY-TO-COUNTRY AFFAIRS (sorted by most new)
- Middlesex County: 52,202 confirmed cases (611 new), 1,567 confirmed deaths (216 likely)
- Essex County: 53,161 confirmed cases (591 new), 2,202 confirmed deaths (257 likely)
- Bergen County: 53,264 confirmed cases (573 new), 2,130 confirmed deaths (267 likely)
- Monmouth County: 38,325 confirmed cases (524 new), 1,038 confirmed deaths (102 likely)
- Hudson County: 50,262 confirmed cases (519 new), 1,599 confirmed deaths (170 likely)
- Ocean County: 38,405 confirmed cases (499 new), 1,410 confirmed deaths (91 likely)
- Camden County: 32,833 confirmed cases (342 new), 845 confirmed deaths (67 likely)
- Union County: 40,694 confirmed cases (335 new), 1,421 confirmed deaths (186 likely)
- Passaic County: 43,423 confirmed cases (301 new), 1,365 confirmed deaths (159 likely)
- Morris County: 23,620 confirmed cases (284 new), 817 confirmed deaths (194 likely)
- Burlington County: 24,973 confirmed cases (230 new), 607 confirmed deaths (52 likely)
- Gloucester County: 16,755 confirmed cases (219 new), 419 confirmed deaths (21 likely)
- Atlantic County: 14,583 confirmed cases (216 new), 382 confirmed deaths (18 likely)
- Mercer County: 21,161 confirmed cases (160 new), 726 confirmed deaths (38 likely)
- Somerset County: 14,456 confirmed cases (149 new), 612 confirmed deaths (94 likely)
- Cumberland County: 9,270 confirmed cases (106 new), 243 confirmed deaths (12 likely)
- Sussex County: 5677 confirmed cases (78 new), 183 confirmed deaths (51 likely)
- Warren County: 4,704 confirmed cases (59 new), 173 confirmed deaths (14 likely)
- Hunterdon County: 4572 confirmed cases (51 new), 88 confirmed deaths (54 likely)
- Salem County: 3,410 confirmed cases (48 new), 113 confirmed deaths (8 likely)
- Cape May County: 2,780 confirmed cases (41 new), 130 confirmed deaths (20 likely)
HOSPITALIZATIONS
There were 3,638 patients admitted to the hospital in New Jersey with confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 as of Wednesday night. That was 88 less than the night before.
This included 644 in critical or intensive care (six less than the previous night), with 456 fans (four more).
495 COVID-19 patients were discharged Wednesday, according to the state’s COVID-19 dashboard.
SCHOOL SUBJECTS
According to the state panel, there were 111 outbreaks of coronavirus in the school in New Jersey involving 557 students, teachers and staff.
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. Although numbers continue to rise every week, Murphy said statistics on school outbreaks are lower than government officials expected when schools reopened for personal classes.
New Jersey 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.
The number of school districts in New Jersey with distance education has increased as students return from the winter holidays, Murphy said Monday.
There are 339 districts starting 2021 remotely – an increase of 18 remote districts from 21 December. Only 77 school districts return with full personal tuition (by 82 on December 21), and 348 return with a hybrid of personal or distance education (down from 362).
Another 47 districts use a combination of personal, hybrid or remote control across several buildings – one more than December 21st.
AGE BREAKS OUT
The age group of 30 to 49 years is the largest percentage of New Jersey residents who contracted the virus (31.3%), followed by those 50-64 (23.8%), 18-29 (19.2%), 65-79 (11.2%), 80 and older (5.5%), 5-17 (7.3%) and 0-4 (1.5%).
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 (47.49%), followed by 65-79 (32.29%), 50-64 (15.68%), 30-49 ( 4.14%), 18-29 (0.36%), 5-17 (0%) and 0-4 (.03%).
At least 7,606 of the COVID-19 deaths in the state were among residents and staff members at nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. The number has risen sharply again in recent months, with deaths at the state’s old age homes almost tripling in December.
There are currently active outbreaks at 428 facilities, leading to 6,510 active cases among residents and 7,034 among staff members.
GENERAL NUMBERS
According to Thursday morning, there were more than 92.4 million positive COVID-19 tests worldwide, according to a running score from Johns Hopkins University. More than 1.98 million people have died from coronavirus-related complications.
The U.S. reported the most cases, more than 23 million, and the most deaths, more than 384,700.
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Matt Arco can be reached at [email protected].