COVID Spread Reduces In Greater Morristown, But By How Much?

MORRISTOWN, NJ — Since the peak of the omicron surge, the spread of the coronavirus has reduced in the Morristown area. The New Jersey Department of Health downgraded Morris County's COVID-19 activity level from "very high" to "high" in its most recent weekly activity report.

Here's what's happening around Greater Morristown

Cases

Morris County averaged 189.8 infections per day this past week, according to the state health department. That's about half of the prior week's average of 366.2 new cases per day.

Morris County hit a record daily case total Jan. 7 with 1,775 reported infections, but the area's average case totals have gradually declined since.

Here are the local case numbers:

• Morristown saw 52 new cases from Jan. 24 to Tuesday, bringing the town to 4,280 cases since the pandemic began, according to Morris County data. That's a 1.2 percent increase to Morristown's infection total in eight days.
• Officials reported 52 Morris Township infections in that span, putting the township at 3,663 cases since the onset of the pandemic. The case total increased 2.1 percent from Jan. 24 to Tuesday.
• Morris Plains's case total grew from 1,187 to 1,215 for a 2.4 percent increase in eight days.

Hospital Data

The number of patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 in New Jersey hospitals has declined in recent weeks. The state's previously rising COVID hospitalization total peaked at 6,089 patients Jan. 11 and has since reduced to 2,170 people as of Tuesday.

Hospital-specific data, which comes from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, only reflects hospital capacities through the week ending Jan. 27. The most recent week of data indicates strain on many local hospitals as of last week.

The ratio of COVID-19 hospitalizations to total beds provides insight on how much strain a hospital is under. The ratio becomes concerning when it crosses 10 percent, and anything more than 20 percent represents "extreme stress," according to a framework the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation developed.

Additionally, ICU capacity also indicates hospital strain, hospital-capacity experts told NPR. When COVID-19 patients fill more than 30 percent of ICU beds, it suggests a hospital is under "high stress." Sixty percent or more indicates "extreme stress."

Several Morristown-area hospitals fell into the data categories of high or extreme stress for the week ending Jan. 27. Here's what federal officials reported in that timeframe:

• Morristown Medical Center: high stress — COVID-19 patients occupied 13 percent of adult inpatient beds and 21 percent of adult ICU beds.
• Saint Clare's Denville Hospital: high stress — COVID-19 patients occupied 15 percent of adult inpatient beds and 24 percent of adult ICU beds.
• Chilton Medical Center (Pompton Plains): high stress — COVID-19 patients occupied 19 percent of adult inpatient beds and 21 percent of adult ICU beds.
• Kindred Hospital New Jersey (Dover): COVID-19 patient data unavailable.
• Overlook Medical Center (Summit): high stress — COVID-19 patients occupied 14 percent of adult inpatient beds and 11 percent of adult ICU beds.
• Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center (Livingston): extreme stress — COVID-19 patients occupied 24 percent of adult inpatient beds and 19 percent of adult ICU beds.

But the hospitals still have beds available for those in need. The New Jersey Hospital Association has urged people not to delay medical care, including trips to the hospital.

Here is the federal data for overall bed use in Morristown-area hospitals for the week ending Jan. 27:

• Morristown Medical Center: 77 percent of adult inpatient beds and 62 percent of adult ICU beds were in use.
• Saint Clare's Denville Hospital: 62 percent of adult inpatient beds and 58 percent of adult ICU beds were in use.
• Chilton Medical Center (Pompton Plains): 72 percent of adult inpatient beds and 44 percent of adult ICU beds were in use.
• Kindred Hospital New Jersey (Dover): 86 percent of adult inpatient beds were in use. ICU data was unavailable.
• Overlook Medical Center (Summit): 60 percent of adult inpatient beds and 34 percent of adult ICU beds were in use.
• Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center (Livingston): 81 percent of adult inpatient beds and 72 percent of adult ICU beds were in use.

Vaccine Data

As of Wednesday, 49.5 percent of Morris County's fully vaccinated population received the COVID-19 booster shot, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. See who's eligible for a booster shot.

The agency reported that 79.6 percent of Morris County's vaccine-eligible population — people 5 and older — have completed their first COVID vaccine course. As of Tuesday, 93.9 percent of Morris County residents 5 and older have received at least one COVID shot.

Deaths

Twenty-seven people in Morris County died from COVID-19 in the past week, according to the CDC. The figure represents an 18.18 percent decline in COVID-19 deaths compared to the prior week.

What Else To Know

The White House announced that 400 million N95 masks would be made available for free to all Americans. Pharmacies including Walgreens, Walmart, Wegmans and CVS began offering free N95 masks Friday at participating stores across the country. Read more.

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