COVID Outbreak Numbers In NJ Schools: The Latest Data

NEW JERSEY — There may be a light at the end of this pandemic tunnel with COVID numbers dropping both New Jersey schools and hospitals.

"While we would never suggest one week is a trend — this is a significant decrease from last week's report," Gov. Phil Murphy said of the school outbreak numbers during a news conference Wednesday.

From Oct. 19 to Oct. 25, 11 new COVID school outbreaks were reported in New Jersey impacting 49 students and 8 staff members across 110 municipalities, said Murphy.

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

In total New Jersey has reported 137 COVID school outbreaks with 613 students and 102 staff members impacted.

"As a reminder you have to remember the common denominator is there are more than 3,500 schools in our state serving more than one and half million children from Pre K through grade 12," said Murphy. "Overall while we take every case with utmost seriousness, these numbers are well within our expectations."

Additionally, the Garden State is also reporting a drop in COVID hospitalizations.

"Since Oct. 1 the number of people hospitalized has decreased roughly 23 percent," said Murphy.

As of Wednesday, there are 792 patients hospitalized with COVID, 196 in ICU and 96 on ventilators.

The last time the ventilator number was under 100 was Aug. 26 and the last time the ICU number was under 200 was Aug. 24, said Murphy.

"We are hopeful these one-day drops become long-term trends," said Murphy.

➡️792 patients in our hospitals (740 confirmed COVID-positive, 52 persons under investigation)
➡️196 patients in our ICUs
➡️96 ventilators in use
➡️97 live patients discharged
➡️90 COVID-positive patients admitted
➡️9 in-hospital deaths
— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) October" class="redactor-linkify-object">https://twitter.com/GovMurphy/... 27, 2021

With COVID numbers looking good in New Jersey. Murphy said he has "no plans" to mandate a COVID vaccine.

"I'm not going to quote-unquote commit to something because the virus has taken so many turns that none of us expected, it's very humbling. But I have zero expectation that is going to happen," said Murphy in regards to a COVID vaccine mandate.

"At the moment we just don't need to and that's been the case and it's quite clear the numbers are getting better, the school outbreaks, we take every one of them deadly seriously, but they are well within reasonable expectation. So the package we have in place is working. So knock on wood it stays that way," said Murphy.

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