6 COVID Outbreaks Reported At NJ Schools Since Start Of School Year

NEW JERSEY — The school year is just getting started yet New Jersey is already reporting six COVID-19 outbreaks in school districts across the Garden State.

The outbreaks reported included two in Atlantic County, one in Cumberland County, one in Monmouth County, one in Morris County, and one in Union County, said New Jersey Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli during a Wednesday news conference.

"Remember schools, in most cases, have been back in session for a limited amount of time," said Gov. Phil Murphy. "So we don't know the full story of how school reopening is going. We obviously will give you that data as we get it."

To qualify as a COVID-19 outbreak in a school there have to be three cases connected and not from the same household, said Persichilli.

For the 2021-22 school year, Persichilli said New Jersey increased the number of cases from two to three cases to align with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention changes for in-school outbreaks.

The cases reported were a combination of 20 staff and student cases at the school districts, said Gov. Phil Murphy.

The specific districts with outbreaks were not immediately reported but Persichilli said they would be posted on the state's dashboard later in the day on Wednesday.

"We want to remind parents if your kids are sick don't send them to school. It's really important to stop at the door of the school to minimize the spread in the community," said Dr. Christina Tan NJ State Epidemiologist.

As of Tuesday, there were 133 cumulative COVID-19 cases in children. Of those, none were hospitalized, said Persichilli.

Murphy also announced that as of Wednesday 82 percent of all eligible New Jersey residents of 12 years or older have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine - which is among the highest in the nation.

Looking at the numbers, just over 5.7 million people are fully vaccinated in New Jersey and 758,000 people have received the first dose.

Currently, the vaccine is available to only those ages 12 years and older. To find a vaccine location click here.

However, former Food and Drug Administration commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb predicts that the FDA could approve the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 by the end of October — by Halloween, in fact. Read More: Kids' COVID Vaccine May Be Approved By Halloween: Former FDA Head

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