COVID-related deaths in New Jersey’s nursing homes nearly tripled in December, with more than the previous three months combined, according to a published report.
The news comes because more than a month is expected to be vaccinated of nursing home residents and staff in the Garden State.
It highlighted the fact that New Jersey has the most deaths per nursing home per capita in the country, about 45% of the more than 17,000 confirmed cases.
And the numbers are rising in line with the biggest rise since May in cases of coronavirus across New Jersey.
The death toll in New Jersey in New Jersey in December includes at least 310 long-term caregivers and a staff at more than 100 facilities, according to NJ Advance Media.
The report continued the dramatic increase from 45 in September to 65 in October to 111 in November.
Although they are doing everything possible to prevent the disease, it is “still coming into the long-term care facilities”, state health commissioner Judith Persichilli said earlier this week.
She said more than 425 facilities had active COVID-19 outbreaks, which was more than double the number.
More than 5,600 residents and staff tested positive – a 72% increase in new cases from November, NJ Advance Media reported.
The report is large in size for a resting place in Warren County where nearly all residents are infected with larger facilities connected to hospitals.
At a factory in Gloucester County that was able to escape the first wave of the pandemic without major damage, the virus allegedly killed 14 of 87 residents who contracted it last month.
Another in Ocean County had 17 COVID deaths in December, when 80 residents and 54 staff members were infected. reads the report.
Initial vaccinations are scheduled at 539 nursing homes in New Jersey, with more expected by early February, Persichilli said.
READ MORE: Deaths still jump at NJ nursing homes
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