COVID Hospitalizations Spike In NJ As Delta Variant Spreads

NEW JERSEY — The daily coronavirus hospitalizations cracked 300 for the first time in a month, according to the in the numbers released by the state Department of Public Health on Wedesday.

"We are back over 300 confirmed COVID+ hospitalizations for the first time since June 25," Governor Phil Murphy said. "We’ve come too far to go backward. The vaccines are proving more than 99.99% effective against hospitalization. Get vaccinated and let’s end this."

As of Wednesday, the Garden State had 369 hospitalizations, with 26 of those patients on ventilators. The rise in pandemic statistics came with a new recent high in cases, as more than 650 new infections were reported for the first time since the middle of May.

Over the last four weeks, the fast-spreading delta variant has become the dominant strain in New Jersey, representing 51 percent of the cases reported.

The variant, which was responsible for wide-scale infections in India and parts of the United Kingdom, has been spreading domestically. In Los Angeles County, health officials have blamed the variant for the reinstatement of tighter restrictions against what they are calling a "preventable" surge.

As of now, Murphy has not made any changes related to the increased spread. But that could change.

"We continue to be comfortable where we are," Murphy said during Monday's COVID-19 briefing. "We watch this like a hawk. I don't want to go back, but if we think that's the right thing to do, we'll do what the public health experts suggest."

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