Military Medics Coming To NJ Amid COVID Surge: Biden

NEW JERSEY — Military medical personnel will arrive in New Jersey to help shore up a heath care system that is being battered by the "omicron tsunami," as Governor Phil Murphy called this latest wave of COVID-19.

Information about the timing of the medical teams' arrival and where they will be stationed has not yet been made public.

President Joe Biden announced "more than 120" military medical personnel will be sent to the Garden Stated and six others: Michigan, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, and Rhode Island. This is in addition to the 350-plus military doctors, nurses, and medics already assisting in other states.

There are also more than 14,000 National Guard members active across 49 states, the president added. The New Jersey National Guard is not the outlier there; Guard members have been sent to help at a dozen nursing homes and other long-term care facilities across the state, including in Sussex County.

"Unfortunately, while our military is stepping up as they always do, there are others sitting on the sidelines and, worse, standing in the way," Biden said. "If you haven't gotten vaccinated, do it. Personal choice impact us all — our hospitals, our country."

Biden also said the government soon will provide free high-quality masks to Americans, as well as 500 million additional rapid at-home tests.

"I know we're all frustrated as we enter this new year," he said. "The omicron variant is causing millions of cases and record hospitalizations."

Weathering the storm

For the first time in nearly a month, New Jersey's daily count of patients hospitalized with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 declined — from 6,089 Tuesday to 5,933 Wednesday.

Earlier this week, New Jersey health officials said this surge in cases may peak in late January or early February. The state may see 20-30,000 cases daily during that time. The Garden State will need time to safely determine whether the omicron peak has passed, according to Donna Leusner, a spokesperson for the state health department.

"We are seeing a leveling off of cases, but hospitalizations are increasing and unfortunately deaths—a lagging indicator—are increasing," Leusner told Patch via email. "We need several more weeks until we can safely say it has peaked. We urge people to get boosted and vaccinated."

COVID deaths also continue to increase in New Jersey, totaling 421 in the past week, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

The mask mandate for students and staff in Garden State schools will continue for the foreseeable future, as well.

For vaccination information in Bergen County, click here. For information on how to get a COVID test, click here.