NJ sets another new record with 4,540 positive COVID-19 tests. “Alarming,” Governor Murphy tweets.

For the second day in a row, New Jersey reached a record number of new daily coronavirus cases, with 4,540 new cases reported on Sunday. 18 more deaths have also been reported.

On Saturday and Sunday, the daily number of new cases was higher than that observed in April, at the height of the first wave of the pandemic.

“These numbers are alarming and continue to increase. Take this seriously. Wear a mask. Social distance. Stay safe, ”Gov. Phil Murphy said in a Sunday afternoon tweet reporting the numbers.

“As we begin the holiday season, plan accordingly and keep social distancing and safety in mind,” Murphy said. “We MUST redouble our efforts and crush the curve like we did last spring. Our lives literally depend on it.

On Saturday, the seven-day average for new cases was 3,198, up 50% from a week ago and 258% more than a month ago. It’s also the highest seven-day average since April 28.

However, it is difficult to directly compare the cases from April to today as there was much less testing done in the spring when supplies and testing sites were more limited. It is likely that the virus was more prevalent in April.

The positivity rate for tests performed on Monday, the last available day, was 8.06%, compared to more than 10% on weekends. The positivity rate remained below 4% throughout the summer.

The state now has 279,274 positive tests and 16,566 deaths – 14,765 confirmed and 1,801 probable deaths – since the outbreak began in March.

Prior to this weekend, the single-day high for positive tests was 4,391 on April 17, when New Jersey peaked in the outbreak’s first wave. At the time, however, testing was scarce. The state has more than doubled its testing capacity since the spring.

It’s possible the current numbers are 10-20% higher than those reported by the state because rapid tests are not included in daily reports, health officials said.

As the second wave sets in, some restrictions have been reinstated after being lifted over the summer.

Restaurants and bars have been ordered to close indoor restaurants at 10 p.m. and the governor this week signed an executive order allowing cities to close non-essential activities before 8 p.m.

Murphy and the governors of five other northeastern states are meeting this weekend to discuss the possible coordination of new restrictions to deal with the peak of COVID-19 cases as a second wave of coronavirus grips the region. Those expected to attend the virtual summit are the governors of New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Vermont.

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As cases hit a new high on Sunday, deaths remain well below their level in mid-April, as more than 400 people in the state die each day.

Part of the reason is that hospitals have improved treatment for COVID-19, health officials said. Hospitals are also not as overcrowded as they were in the spring, although those numbers are also on the rise.

State data shows that 2,004 people are currently hospitalized with coronavirus, including 135 on ventilators. This is the highest number of hospitalizations since June 2.

At the peak of the first wave in April, more than 8,000 people were in New Jersey hospitals fighting the virus.

Statewide transmission rate increased to 1.38 – much lower than when it was above 5 towards the end of March, but still the highest since the summer. Anything above 1 means the epidemic is expanding.

North Jersey counties have the most new cases, led by Hudson County with 413 new cases reported on Saturday. Camden and Bergen counties recorded 400 and 397 new cases, respectively. All but six counties have reported at least 100 new cases.

COVID-19 cases are on the rise across the country. The United States on Friday recorded more than 180,000 new cases, by far the highest number of daily new cases seen during the pandemic. Nearly 1,400 people died from the virus across the country on Friday.

COUNTY-BY-COUNTY NUMBERS (sorted by newest)

• Hudson County: 26,894 positive tests (413 new), 1386 confirmed deaths (158 probable)
• Camden County: 14,863 positive tests (400 new), 596 confirmed deaths (53 probable)
• Bergen County: 29,223 positive tests (397 new), 1,837 confirmed deaths (246 probable)
• Passaic County: 24,876 positive tests (384 new), 1,138 confirmed deaths (141 probable)
• Union County: 24,156 positive tests (354 new), 1,225 confirmed deaths (168 probable)
• Essex County: 30,216 positive tests (346 new), 1,942 confirmed deaths (230 probable)
• Middlesex County: 25,744 positive tests (346 new), 1,261 confirmed deaths (203 probable)
• Burlington County: 10,527 positive tests (300 new), 485 confirmed deaths (41 probable)
• Monmouth County: 16,689 positive tests (280 new), 787 confirmed deaths (92 probable)
• Ocean County: 18,635 positive tests (223 new), 1,021 confirmed deaths (66 probable)
• Mercer County: 11,060 positive tests (219 new), 611 confirmed deaths (36 probable)
• Morris County: 11,195 positive tests (179 new), 704 confirmed deaths (146 probable)
• Gloucester County: 7,068 positive tests (157 new), 248 confirmed deaths (7 probable)
• Somerset County: 7648 positive tests (138 new), 529 confirmed deaths (75 probable)
• Atlantic County: 6,555 positive tests (110 new), 260 confirmed deaths (13 probable)
• Hunterdon County: 1981 positive tests (49 new), 73 confirmed deaths (54 probable)
• County of Warren: 2,024 positive tests (47 new), 158 confirmed deaths (13 probable)
• Sussex County: 2,080 positive tests (45 new), 162 confirmed deaths (36 probable)
• Cape May County: 1349 positive tests (39 new), 95 confirmed deaths (10 probable)
• Cumberland County: 4455 positive tests (28 new), 162 confirmed deaths (8 probable)
• Salem County: 1352 positive tests (28 new), 85 confirmed deaths (5 probable)

HOSPITALIZATIONS

As of Sunday, there were 2,004 patients in hospitals confirmed or suspected of having COVID-19, up 4 from Saturday.

New Jersey has 392 people in intensive care (22 more than Saturday) and 135 people on ventilators (an increase from Saturday).

The state said 231 COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospital on Saturday.

TRANSMISSION RATE

The state’s transmission rate climbed to 1.38 on Saturday, from 1.35 on Friday. That’s up from a recent low of 1.13 on October 20.

A rate of 1.38 means that 100 people with the virus will pass it on to 138 people.

Over time, this means that the virus is increasing among the population.

SCHOOL CASE

Since the start of the school year, at least 193 students and educators in New Jersey have contracted COVID-19 or passed it on to someone else while they were in class, walking around their schools, or participating in extracurricular activities, state officials said.

The 193 cases were among 51 confirmed school outbreaks that concluded local health investigations were the result of students and teachers catching the coronavirus at school.

WORLDWIDE FIGURES

As of Saturday afternoon, there had been more than 54 million positive COVID-19 tests worldwide, according to an ongoing count from Johns Hopkins University. More than 1.3 million people have died from complications from the coronavirus.

The United States has the most positive tests in the world, with 10.9 million, and the most deaths, with more than 245,600.

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Katie Kausch can be contacted at [email protected]. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here.