State health officials reported another 1,648 COVID-19 cases and five more deaths on Monday as hospitalizations decreased for a fourth consecutive day.
All of New Jersey’s 21 counties are still listed as having “high” rates of coronavirus transmission, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC is recommending people in all 21 counties wear masks for indoor public settings regardless of vaccination rates.
There were 1,015 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 or suspected cases across New Jersey’s 71 hospitals as of late Sunday — 23 fewer than Saturday night. There were 127 patients discharged from hospitals Sunday.
Of those hospitalized, 113 were on ventilators, one more than the previous night. Hospitalizations have dropped about 4.8% in the past seven days, after weeks of a steady increase.
While hospitalizations are way up from early this summer, they remain well below the 3,873 patients at the height of the pandemic’s second wave in late December. For example, two months ago there were 279 total COVID patients in hospitals.
The rate of transmission listed on the state’s coronavirus dashboard early Monday afternoon is 1.04. Any number above 1 indicated the virus is spreading.
Officials say 5,643,187 people 12 and older who live, work or study in New Jersey have been vaccinated against the virus as the new school years gets into full swing this week across the state for most students and teachers. All employees in pre-school through 12th grade schools in New Jersey must be vaccinated by Oct. 18 or undergo weekly testing.
Earlier in August, Murphy said the state will require students and staff members in preschool through 12th grade to wear masks at the start of the new academic year.
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The positivity rate for tests conducted on Wednesday, the most recent day available, was 5.36%.
New Jersey has now reported 26,953 total COVID-19 deaths in more than 17 months — 24,221 confirmed and 2,731 considered probable, according to the state dashboard. That’s the most coronavirus deaths per capita in the U.S.
There have been 962,020 positive PCR tests since March 4, 2020. Another 142,419 antigen tests that turned up positive are considered probable.
There were no new deaths among fully vaccinated people reported during the week ending Aug. 15, Murphy said last week. But the state’s overall count went from 58 to 68. Of the 1,637 fully vaccinated individuals who tested positive that week, 98% stayed out of the hospital, he said.
At least 8,473 of the state’s COVID-19 deaths have been among residents and staff members at nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, according to state data.
Approximately 4,570,927 people have died of virus-related causes worldwide as of early Monday, according to the Johns Hopkin University data tracker. The U.S. accounts for 648,613 deaths, including 31,529 in the past 28 days alone. More than 4.1 million people have tested positive in the U.S. in the past four weeks.
There have been 39,955,163 people infected with the virus since December 2019, including 39,955,163 in the U.S.
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Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com.