NJ reports 1,648 new COVID cases, 5 deaths as hospital numbers improve for 4th day in a row

State health officials reported 1,648 more cases of COVID-19 and five more deaths on Monday, as hospitalizations declined 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 US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC recommends that people in 21 counties wear masks for indoor public places, regardless of vaccination rates.

As of Sunday evening, 1,015 patients were hospitalized for COVID-19 or suspected cases at 71 hospitals in New Jersey, 23 fewer than on Saturday evening. There were 127 patients discharged from hospitals on Sunday.

Of those hospitalized, 113 were on ventilators, one more than the night before. Hospitalizations have fallen by about 4.8% in the past seven days, after weeks of steady increases.

While hospitalizations have been rising sharply since the start of the summer, they remain well below the 3,873 patients at the height of the second wave of the pandemic at the end of December. For example, two months ago there were a total of 279 COVID patients in hospitals.

The transmission rate shown on the state’s coronavirus dashboard early Monday afternoon is 1.04. Any number greater than 1 indicates that the virus is spreading.

Authorities say 5,643,187 people aged 12 and over who live, work or study in New Jersey have been vaccinated against the virus as the new school year kicks in this week statewide for most students and teachers. All nursery school workers through grade 12 in New Jersey are required to be vaccinated by October 18 or have weekly testing.

Earlier in August, Murphy said the state would require K-12 students and staff to wear masks at the start of the new school year.

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The positivity rate for tests performed on Wednesday, the last available day, was 5.36%.

New Jersey has now reported 26,953 total deaths from COVID-19 in over 17 months – 24,221 confirmed and 2,731 considered probable, according to the state’s dashboard. This is the highest number of coronavirus deaths per capita in the United States

There have been 962,020 positive PCR tests since March 4, 2020. Another 142,419 antigen tests that tested positive are considered probable.

No new deaths were reported among those fully vaccinated during the week ending Aug. 15, Murphy said last week. But the state’s overall number fell from 58 to 68. Of the 1,637 fully vaccinated people who tested positive that week, 98% remained out of hospital, he said.

At least 8,473 of COVID-19 deaths in the state have occurred among residents and staff of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, according to state data.

As of Monday morning, about 4,570,927 people died from causes related to the virus around the world, according to the Johns Hopkin University data tracker. The United States has 648,613 deaths, with 31,529 in the past 28 days alone. More than 4.1 million people have tested positive in the United States 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 United States

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Jeff Goldman can be reached at [email protected].