Coronavirus Has Hit NJ's Young People 'Substantially:' Here's Why

NEW JERSEY — State officials took young people to task Wednesday for allowing the coronavirus to spread "substantially," saying the spikes in cases among their age groups will impact New Jersey's reopening plans.

Gov. Phil Murphy addressed those concerns as he announced 447 new coronavirus cases and nine more deaths during a Wednesday news conference (you can watch it here, below).

Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said the positivity rates for the 14-18 and 19-24 age groups are roughly three times the statewide rate. They've also tripled in one month, and eight people under the age of 21 have died in New Jersey.

A vast majority of those young people who died were between the ages of 18 and 20 and had underlying conditions, Persichilli said.

"We have seen the percent positivity increase substantially among our youth," she said.

Murphy specifically targeted a stunt by a group of YouTube pranksters at the famed "Jersey Shore" house in Seaside Heights this past week, and a "pop-up" car show that drew 2,500 people. The incidents resulted in eight arrests, police said. Read more: 8 Arrested As YouTube Stars' Fans Get Unruly In Seaside Heights

Murphy said New Jersey is "not remotely close" to reopening bars as long as that type of behavior continues.

"I don't know when we'll get there, (with) packed congregating around a bar, either inside a bar or in a restaurant," Murphy said. "We're not close to that.

"So what makes people think a house party is any different from that? Because that's what that is, right? And we've got to avoid that like the plague."

Murphy also expressed concern about "these knuckleheads" spreading the virus, and that New Jersey won't know whether the Seaside Heights gathering was a superspreader event until symptoms arise, and test results arrive within 10 days to two weeks.

Murphy also expressed concern that the behavior could impact schools, and he warned districts to be cognizant of possible exposure to cases associated with the Seaside gathering.

Both Persichilli and Murphy said there have no outbreaks associated with schools — yet — but the governor said that "the overwhelming amount of evidence is that it's outside the school walls where we're having our trouble."

Murphy said he urges anyone who was in that crowd to get tested, saying that kind of gathering is "how the coronavirus spreads most easily."

"Just because you're young and seemingly invincible doesn't mean you actually are, or that you can't spread the virus onto someone who may be particularly vulnerable if you yourself are not symptomatic," Murphy said.

Persichilli said her department continues to see cases climb among young people, noting that the 19-24 age group now has the highest percent positivity in the state: 7.1.

That's the percentage of people who tested positive. The same group in mid-August was at 2.7, she said.

The positivity rate for the 14-18 age group was 3 in mid-August. Now it's 7, Persichilli said.

She said the percent positivity has either flattened or declined for every other age group.

"Let's stop with the house parties and irresponsible behavior," Murphy said. "Let's get back to what we know what works."

Murphy is also expected to sign legislation that will help fix nursing homes where coronavirus deaths have doubled in three months. Read more: NJ Coronavirus Nursing Home, Long-Term Care Deaths Double As Gov. Murphy To Push Fix

The update comes as the number of cases continues to rise in New Jersey. Read more: NJ Coronavirus, School Reopen Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

Watch Murphy here:

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This article originally appeared on the Rumson-Fair Haven Patch