Schools
COVID In Middlesex County Schools: What NJ Data Reveals
COVID-19 cases among staff spiked since the holiday break, according to recent data. Many County schools went virtual due to staff shortage.
SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ — COVID-19 cases among school staff in Middlesex County has spiked since the holiday break, according to data from the New Jersey's Department of Health.
On Monday, 11 new outbreaks were reported in schools for the week of Dec. 28 through Jan. 3, although health officials noted those numbers were low because there was no school during that period.
There were 77 new cases among students, and 32 new cases among staff. Altogether, there have been 384 outbreaks in schools, including 1,890 cases among students and 342 cases among staff since the school year began.
Find out what's happening in South Brunswickfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Middlesex County has reported case rates higher than the state average of 29.73 cases per 1,000 people.
According to the latest data from the dashboard, Middlesex County has 30.24 cases per 1,000 with just 52.8 percent of schools reporting. The County reported 2,121 new student cases and 856 new staff cases. Around 88.2 percent of school staff in the County are vaccinated.
Find out what's happening in South Brunswickfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Many Middlesex County school districts, including South Brunswick and East Brunswick, moved to remote learning after the holidays due to COVID-19-related staffing shortage.
Read More:
Indoor Mask Mandate In South Brunswick, Schools Go Virtual
East Brunswick Schools Go Virtual Due To Spike In COVID Cases
Since our schools have reopened at the end of the summer, we’ve recorded 384 total outbreaks impacting just under 1,900 students and just over 340 staff. Our layered approach to safety is helping to minimize the spread inside our schools. pic.twitter.com/twXDjoDAC7
— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) January 10, 2022
On Monday, Gov. Phil Murphy said that mask mandate for students and staff in New Jersey's schools and daycare facilities will continue for the foreseeable future due to spike in cases.
“We're working very cooperatively with the legislative leadership to make sure we have a good pathway forward, particularly given the overwhelming tsunami that we're dealing with,” Murphy said during a news conference Monday afternoon.
“It doesn't give us any joy, but the school mask mandate is going to have to stay in place for some amount of time longer.”
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