Union County’s Weekly COVID Cases Up 3.6 Percent: See Updates

UNION COUNTY, NJ — The coronavirus continues to take a grim toll on Union County, impacting local businesses and schools in the region, according to updated state data.

Union County reported 38,485 cases on Friday, an increase of 1,327 and 3.6 percent over the previous week's 37,158.

The total of 1,404 deaths was up from 1,379 a week ago.

The rise in cases is reflected in the state Department of Health's most recent "COVID-19 Activity Level Report," which is issued weekly. The most recent report, released Thursday, says Union County is in the “red zone” for coronavirus cases.

The "red zone" means the daily new COVID-19 virus case rate, per 100,000 people, rose to "very high" in all 21 counties. That means they exceeded 25 cases per 1,000 people over a seven-day average.

The latest report say the overall coronavirus activity level also rose from "moderate" or "yellow" to "high," or “orange,” in recent weeks in all 21 New Jersey counties.

With the rise to a "high" level, state officials said, school districts in those counties may have to take more serious steps — such as quarantining or even shutting down schools — if a child shows the symptoms of COVID-19.

"When it is high risk, there are some recommendations that we make together with local school boards," said Edward Lifshitz, medical director for the state Department of Health.

Indeed, a number of school districts have shifted to remote instruction as the numbers have risen.

The overall coronavirus risk rose to "high" in each of the counties because:

• The new daily case rate in each of the counties rose to 10 or more per 100,000 people.
• The percent of COVID-19-like illnesses rose above 5.52 in each of the counties.
• The percent of positive cases rose above 10.01.

Union County opened a vaccination center this week and administered the first shots Thursday. Read more here.

Trends

New Jersey had its highest new case total ever from Wednesday to Thursday, and a daily death toll of 123 people. More than 17,000 across the state have passed away from the virus.

This was the first time New Jersey topped 100 fatalities for three days in a row, since May. Gov. Phil Murphy said 3,488 people are hospitalized with the virus statewide, 668 on ICU, 469 on ventilators.

The governor also said 459 coronavirus patients were admitted to hospitals and 449 discharged.

As of Friday, 365,000 Americans had died of the virus. (You can see which states had the highest death toll in the past week on this CDC map.)

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