COVID Spread Reduces In Parsippany, But By How Much?

PARSIPPANY, NJ — Since the peak of the omicron surge, the spread of the coronavirus has reduced in the Parsippany area. The New Jersey Department of Health downgraded Morris County's COVID-19 activity level from "high" to "moderate" in its last two weekly virus activity reports.

Here's what's happening around Parsippany.

Cases

Morris County averaged 72.7 infections per day this past week, according to the state health department. That's a reduction over the prior week, when the area averaged 118.1 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.

Parsippany saw 98 new cases from Feb. 8 to Thursday, bringing the township's case total to 8,905 since the pandemic began, according to Morris County data. That's a 1.1 percent increase to the township's case total in nine days.

Hospital Data

The number of patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 in New Jersey hospitals has significantly declined in the past month. The state's previously rising COVID hospitalization total peaked at 6,089 patients Jan. 11 and has since reduced to 1,159 as of Thursday.

Local hospitals have begun to see less strain too, according to federal data. Here's what the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported for the week ending Feb. 10 — the most recently available hospital-specific data:

Morristown Medical Center

• 80 percent of adult inpatient beds used
• 64 percent of adult ICU beds used
• COVID-19 patients occupied 4 percent of adult inpatient beds and 7 percent of adult ICU beds

Saint Clare's Denville Hospital

• 62 percent of adult inpatient beds used
• 33 percent of adult ICU beds used
• COVID-19 patients occupied 6 percent of adult inpatient beds. COVID-19 data for the ICU wasn't available.

Chilton Medical Center (Pompton Plains)

• 61 percent of adult inpatient beds used
• 27 percent of adult ICU beds used
• COVID-19 patients occupied 3 percent of adult inpatient beds. COVID-19 data for the ICU wasn't available.

Kindred Hospital New Jersey - Morris County (Dover)

• 85 percent of adult inpatient beds used
• Figures for ICU use and COVID-19 patients weren't available. COVID-19 data for the ICU wasn't available.

Overlook Medical Center (Summit)

• 56 percent of adult inpatient beds used
• 29 percent of adult ICU beds used
• COVID-19 patients occupied 4 percent of adult inpatient beds.

Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center (Livingston)

• 95 percent of adult inpatient beds used
• ICU data wasn't available.
• COVID-19 patients occupied 12 percent of adult inpatient beds.

The ratio of COVID-19 hospitalizations to total beds provides insight into 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.

All aforementioned hospitals stood at less than 10 percent for the week ending Feb. 10 except Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center, where COVID-19 patients occupied 12 percent of adult inpatient beds.

Vaccine Data

As of Friday, 51.1 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 80.4 percent of Morris County's vaccine-eligible population — people 5 and older — have completed their first COVID vaccine course. As of Friday, 94.6 percent of Morris County residents 5 and older have received at least one COVID shot.

Deaths

Eighteen people in Morris County died from COVID-19 in the past week, according to the CDC. The figure represents a 14.9 percent decline in COVID-19 deaths compared to the prior week.

What Else To Know

• Free, government-provided N95 masks have arrived at all Wegmans locations, including Parsippany's store. Read more.
• The Parsippany-Troy Hills School District will aim to drop masking requirements once New Jersey ends its mandate for K-12 schools March 7. But school officials are awaiting further information before making a final decision. Read more.
• As the Garden State prepares for a March 7 end to a statewide mask mandate in schools and daycare facilities, new state data has revealed only 1 in 4 young New Jersey kids are fully vaccinated and 1 in 3 received at least one COVID-19 inoculation. Read more.

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