COVID Outbreaks Nearly Doubled At NJ Schools This Week, Murphy Says

NEW JERSEY — COVID-19 outbreaks in school districts across the Garden State are continuing to climb with the total almost doubling since last week.

On Wednesday, 69 COVID-19 outbreaks were reported since the beginning of the school year. This is up an additional 31 outbreaks since last week when only 38 outbreaks were reported at school districts across the state, state officials said during a news conference.

The outbreaks are due to in-school activities across 62 districts impacting 319 students and 60 staff, said Gov. Phil Murphy.

The outbreaks reported included:

• Camden County - 10 outbreaks, 37 linked cases
• Mercer County - 9 outbreaks, 39 linked cases
• Atlantic County - 8 outbreaks, 26 linked cases
• Monmouth County - 7 outbreaks, 35 linked cases
• Bergen County - 4 outbreaks, 25 linked cases
• Cape May County - 4 outbreaks, 15 linked cases
• Essex County - 4 outbreaks, 16 linked cases
• Morris County - 4 outbreaks, 22 linked cases
• Glouster County - 3 outbreaks, 22 linked cases
• Somerset County - 3 outbreaks, 26 linked cases
• Sussex County - 3 outbreaks, 13 linked cases
• Cumberland County - 2 outbreaks, 12 linked cases
• Hudson County - 2 outbreaks, 9 linked cases
• Passaic County - 2 outbreaks, 62 linked cases
• Hunterdon County - 1 outbreak, 9 linked cases
• Ocean County - 1 outbreak, 5 linked cases
• Salem County - 1 outbreak, 3 linked cases
• Union County - 1 outbreak, 3 linked cases

Murphy noted that she does expect to see an uptick between Thanksgiving and Christmas but it is within a range that can be handled by hospitals.

Additionally, the New Jersey Department of Health issued a directive requiring all schools to report COVID-19 data to the department on a weekly basis.

Data reported back to the state will also include any COVID-19 testing, testing vendors, and cases reported to schools by parents, students, and staff.

"As schools begin testing this data it will provide information on the circulation of the virus among the school children and school staff. This data, however, is not a reflection of the in-school transmission, which is captured through the outbreak reports," said New Jersey Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli.

Schools will also be required to report vaccination data on students and staff.

"This reporting will give us a more complete picture of the data of vaccination rates among students and staff which we can then report to you," said Murphy.

In August, Murphy issued an order that all school staff in schools from pre-k through 12 need to be vaccinated by Oct. 18 or face regular COVID-19 testing. This includes bus drivers as well, Murphy emphasized.

"We are doing all that we can that the school day is as safe as possible for our kids and that begins at the bus stop," said Murphy.

Persichilli stressed the importance of school staff members getting vaccinated to protect school children.

"As you know children under 12 can not be vaccinated yet so we need strong vaccine coverage in these populations who come into contact with these young individuals in order to protect them," said Persichilli.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services also recently released a report "that demonstrates the life-saving power of vaccinations," said Persichilli.

The report found that the COVID-19 vaccination may have helped to prevent hundreds of thousands of new COVID-19 infections and tens of thousands of deaths particularly among seniors, said Persichilli.

"Vaccinations are linked to a reduction in approximately 265,00 COVID infections, 107,000 hospitalizations, and 39,000 deaths among Medicare beneficiaries from January to May 2021, said Persichilli.

As of Wednesday, 5.7 million of eligible New Jersey residents 12 or older are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

To find a vaccine location click here.

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