17 RWJ Hospital Somerset Staff Had COVID In The Past Month

SOMERVILLE, NJ — State officials have reported 17 COVID-19 cases among Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset staff in the past 30 days. The figure represents just over 1 percent of hospital staff, but New Jersey continues to report increases in hospital workers catching the virus.

The New Jersey Department of Health shares the number of staff cases at hospitals for the past 30 days. RWJ University Hospital Somerset's numbers aren't too bad in comparison with the rest of the state.

Out of the more than 1,500 staff members at RWJ Somerset there were 17 cases. The hospital ranked at the 33rd highest out of 63 hospitals statewide for cases.

Morristown Medical Center reported more than any in the state with 127 cases, but the hospital also has significantly more employees than almost any in New Jersey with more than 7,000.

East Orange General Hospital reported the lowest number of cases with 2

But as COVID-19 cases spike through New Jersey, infections among hospital staff continue to increase. The state health department has reported at least 100 new cases per day among hospital employees since Wednesday. In the past 30 days, 20.85 percent of cases among New Jersey hospital staff have come from workplace activity, while officials attributed the rest to community spread.

"Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset has mandated the COVID-19 vaccine for staff and strongly encourages employees receive the COVID-19 booster shot. In addition to following all guidelines from the CDC throughout the facility, employees are also strongly encouraged to exercise proven precautionary measures including wearing a mask (at all times while in the hospital and caring for patients), washing their hands often with soap or hand sanitizer, social distancing of 6 feet or more from others, and avoiding large gatherings while in social settings to prevent the spread of the virus," according to RWJUH Somerset.

The New Jersey Hospital Association also recently urged people not to delay medical care, including trips to the hospital.

The organization discovered a significant increase in deaths at home during 2020 — 95,715 overall, with COVID-19 listed as the primary cause for 16,548 people. Deaths at home never exceeded 76,000 in a single year from 2017-19, according to the New Jersey Hospital Association.

"It’s impossible to know whether these excess deaths could have been prevented with timely access to hospital care," said Sean Hopkins, senior vice president of the NJHA's Center for Health Analytics, Research and Transformation. “But the trends are troubling, and they reinforce a critical message during a public health emergency: Please don’t delay seeking the care you need.”

The state health department reported 1,902 active hospitalizations among COVID-19 patients as of Sunday — New Jersey's highest total since April 23.

— With reporting by Josh Bakan

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