COVID-19 Infection Rate Nearly Doubles In NJ Schools Amid Spike
NEW JERSEY — The rate of COVID-19 infection among students in New Jersey schools has nearly doubled, while staff members also saw a big spike in cases in the weeks following Thanksgiving, state officials said Monday.
"Generally, the cases we are seeing these days are impacting the younger population in general, more so than our older population," said New Jersey State Epidemiologist Dr. Christina Tan during a news conference Monday afternoon. "And it's not surprising that we are seeing increases in case rates in schools, because we are seeing increases just in general in our cases."
Gov. Phil Murphy said the rate of infection nearly doubled for students throughout the month of November and increased roughly 2.5 times for staff per 1,000 people.
Related: COVID Booster Shots Now Available For More NJ Teens
For the week ending Dec. 5, schools reported 4,998 new student cases and 1,168 teacher cases. That equals to 4.56 student cases per 1,000 students and 5.79 staff cases per 1,000 staff members, according to the state dashboard.
This is up from 2.66 student cases per 1,000 students and 4.41 staff cases per 1,000 staff members since the week prior.
Bergen County continues to have the highest number of student cases with 543, followed by Monmouth County with 514 cases. The county also continues to have the highest number of staff cases with 112, followed by Middlesex County with 91.
Overall, Sussex County has the highest rate of 8.76 cases per 1,000 student and staff members.
From Nov. 28 to Dec. 5, 31 new COVID-19 school outbreaks were reported in New Jersey. In total, New Jersey has reported 248 COVID-19 school outbreaks, with 1,345 students and staff members impacted.
With numbers rising and more people getting together, state officials continue to push the importance of vaccinations and boosters.
"If you look at our epidemic curve, we are seeing increases in the last couple of weeks probably due to a combination of not only the holiday surge but there is some waning immunity," Tan said. "So that's why the importance of 'Boost NJ,' the importance of getting that booster shot, is really critical for us to get ahead of the epidemic curve from continuing to go up."
New Jersey's "Boost NJ Day" on Wednesday will commemorate the one-year anniversary since the first COVID-19 vaccine was administered in the Garden State, by offering walk-in and additional clinics.
"As we approach the one-year anniversary of the vaccine, we encourage everyone who is eligible to get out and get vaccinated and get boosted," Murphy said. "Even if you already are, we ask that you mask up in crowded indoor spaces and when you do not know the vaccination status of those around you. Vaccination and common sense are the best protections that we have."
To find a vaccine location, click here.
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This article originally appeared on the Hillsborough Patch
