Summit's COVID Case Numbers Show A Trend Amid Delta Variant

SUMMIT, NJ — Amid the rise of the highly transmissible Delta variant of COVID-19, 21 more cases were confirmed among Summit residents last week, the city said.

The numbers are still lower than in January 2021, before the vaccine was widely available, a month in which 263 cases were diagnosed and two people died from the virus.

In fact, case numbers dwindled in May and June, and the city stopped releasing weekly reports. But with the transmissible Delta variant, cases are rising again.

Of cases diagnosed in the state in the last four weeks, 99.3 percent were the Delta variant, the state says (see the "variants" tab).

Medical professionals say that COVID vaccines are 95 percent effective against the virus, and while vaccinated people may have "breakthrough cases," there is a lower chance of hospitalization or death for those vaccinated.

Recent charts from one group of North Jersey hospitals show a high ratio of unvaccinated to vaccinated patients among those in their hospitals who are fighting COVID.

The Westfield Regional Health Department broke down these cases confirmed from Sept. 17-23:•

• Two cases aged 11 and younger;
• Three cases aged 12 to 18;
• Three cases aged 25 to 29;
• One case aged 30 to 34;
• One case aged 40 to 44;
• One case aged 45 to 49;
• One case aged 50 to 54;
• Two cases aged 55 to 59;
• Three cases 60 to 64;
• Two cases aged 65 to 69;
• One case aged 70 to 74; and
• One case aged 80 to 84.

From Sept. 1-23, 2021, the Regional Health Department confirmed 89 COVID-19 cases in Summit.

This week’s map shows Central East, Southwest and Southeast regions in the State of New Jersey in high activity. For the first time since April 2021, the state has an average high activity score. Last year at this time, New Jersey was showing low activity levels.

Who's Vaccinated?

In Union County, 394,864 (70.9 percent of the total population) have received one dose of vaccine, and 349,762 (62.8 percent of the total population) are fully vaccinated, a local official said Friday.

People under 12 still cannot be vaccinated.

Any resident interested in receiving the vaccine can call 908-789-4070. A list of upcoming pop-up clinics can be found on the Health Department website. You can also try ucnj.org, or Atlantic Health System at atlantichealth.org.

New Jersey Hospitalization Trends

As of Sunday night, 684,884 Americans have died from COVID.

On Saturday, Sept. 25, 1,068 people were hospitalized in New Jersey battling coronavirus, 129 of them on ventilators to help them breathe.

See prior weeks' numbers here.

Read More About COVID And NJ:

• The Latest Data, Details On Breakthrough COVID-19 Cases In NJ
• COVID Hospitalizations Spike In NJ As Delta Variant Spreads
• Mayor: Westfield Had One Coronavirus Death In July
• NJ Mom Urges: Please Listen to COVID 'Long-Haulers'
• 4 Things To Know About The Delta Variant Of Coronavirus In NJ
• New Jersey Town Says: Get Vaccinated Or No Spaghetti For You
• Rise In Child COVID Hospitalizations Prompts Vaccination Plea
• NJ Hospital Preps For COVID Surge As Kids Set To Return To School

More Information

• 98 percent to 99 percent of recent COVID deaths were unvaccinated people, according to one study earlier this summer.
• Here is information on vaccine side effects, including the most rare but severe effects.
• COVID survivors may suffer from long-term symptoms.

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