COVID In Hudson County: Numbers, Tests, And Trends This Week

HUDSON COUNTY, NJ — Cases of COVID, particularly the easily transmissible omicron variant, have proliferated around the state. However, the Delta variant that has been causing deaths and hospitalizations since the summer is still afflicting patients.

As of Friday, Jan. 14, the state's 71 hospitals reported that they were treating 5,835 COVID positive patients, up slightly from the 5,621 reported a week earlier. Of the patients currently in hospitals, 524 were getting breathing help from ventilators on Friday, up from 419 the previous Friday.

In Hudson County on Friday, Jan. 14, the total Hudson County death toll from COVID was 2,285, up by 59 residents since the previous week's total.

[New: Get 4 free tests for your household from the U.S. government. Click here.]

Also, a cumulative 138,397 cases had been reported countywide by this past Friday, up from 123,150 cases a week earlier. Hospitalizations countywide climbed to 8,166.

In New Jersey right now, three hospital emergency rooms are on "divert status" due either to patient volume or staff being out sick, down from four at the end of last week.

While pharmacies, government clinics, doctor's offices and the state have offered places to get a free test or a vaccine, demand has increased since before the new year.

But there are new ways to get or find a test. The state has opened a new statewide testing center in East Orange. Find out more below.

In Hoboken, Jersey City, Secaucus, and Hudson County

In Hoboken, appointments to be vaccinated or get a test via the city can be booked online at www.hobokennj.gov/vaccine or at www.hobokennj.gov/testing.

In Jersey City, the city has posted an updated list of local free testing sites. See that list here.

Find out about Jersey City testing with Bespoke here.

In Secaucus, find out about where to get a rapid test here.

The township of North Bergen recently added testing sites. Find out more here.

The county of Hudson recently announced that it is adding vaccination sites at county parks in North Bergen and Bayonne.

Hudson County also has a vaccination center here.

New State Website

New Jersey health officials have launched a website where people can search for COVID-19 testing facilities near them or across the state. Users are advised to double check the accuracy of the hours, and eligibility, by calling the site before heading over. Go to the site here.

Tests are available to anyone in New Jersey; insurance isn’t needed.

In addition, the New Jersey Department of Health and Vault Medical Services have partnered to offer a an at-home COVID-19 saliva test kit that is available to every New Jerseyan who thinks they need a test. However, tests have run out some days because of demand. Learn more here. To order the kit, click here.

According to the state website:

The state says: You can find a list of free public testing locations in New Jersey by county at https://t.co/bQkjIBA6hu, with additional sites to be added.
— NJDOH (@NJDeptofHealth) December 21, 2021

U.S. Death Toll: 848,000

Medical professionals say that breakthrough COVID-19 cases caused by the new omicron variant — infections among the vaccinated — are less common among people who have received their third vaccination shot, and that for vaccinated people who do get the virus, symptoms are often less severe. But public health officials are concerned that hospitalizations are increasing nationwide, and staff are out sick, as well.

In America, more than, 851,000 people have died of COVID since the start of the pandemic. The daily death rate is highest right now in these states.

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This article originally appeared on the Hoboken Patch