How Much Is COVID Spreading In Passaic County With Delta Emerging

PASSAIC COUNTY, NJ — COVID-19 cases have been on the rise across the state as the Delta variant continues to spread, but the county has also seen an uptick in cases. Now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say the community transmission rate is "substantial."

The latest state Department of Health data shows that 364 new cases have been confirmed since Aug. 1, bringing the county total to 67,050.

Officials continue to monitor the delta variant, which accounted for 53.2 percent of coronavirus cases in New Jersey over a four-week period ending on July 3, CDC numbers show.

"It's twice as infectious," Andy Slavitt, a former member of President Joe Biden's Covid Response Team, told CNN. "Fortunately, unlike 2020, we actually have a tool that stops the delta variant in its tracks: It's called vaccine."

In addition to the rise in cases, the CDC has also listed Passaic County among those in the state with a "substantial" rate of community transmission. The determination is based on metrics such as case rate, positivity rate and prevalence of COVID-like illnesses.

Most New Jersey counties now have a "substantial" level of transmission, excluding Cumberland, Cape May, Burlington and Monmouth ("high") and Warren ("moderate"), according to the CDC.

The latest Wayne Township update reported that the township's coronavirus total is now at 6,647 as of July 25.