COVID hospitalizations surpass 1,000 in New Jersey

NEW JERSEY - The number of hospitalizations in New Jersey related to the coronavirus pandemic has surpassed 1,000, for the first time in nearly four months.

The state's COVID data dashboard showed 1,010 people hospitalized across the state's 71 hospitals as of Tuesday night. A day earlier, 957 people were reported hospitalized with the potentially deadly virus.

The last time there were more than 1,000 people hospitalized with coronavirus was on July 2 with 1,028.

COVID-19 cases have been steadily rising across the state and the country.

"Our numbers are back up, nothing, thank God, at least not yet, the way they were in the spring," said Gov. Phil Murphy during an interview with FOX 5 NY morning program, 'Good Day New York.'

Most hospitalizations are reported in the northern region of the state with 540 cases followed by the central portion with 229 and the southern region at 241.

80 people are on ventilators and 194 are in intensive care.

There were 1,663 cases reported statewide Tuesday. 

A curfew was reinstated in Newark this week for non-essential businesses after a sharp rise in cases in the state's largest city.

Murphy said he wasn't planning to reinstate restrictions on public spaces across the state.

"We don't have much evidence that those steps are the source of our uptick. The big source as far as we can tell are folks in their private spaces," said Murphy

The Democratic leader had been in quarantine after contact with two aides who had tested positive for coronavirus. On Wednesday, he announced that he was no longer self-isolating but remained working in a virtual environment for a few more days.

"We just decided that it was better to be safe than sorry. I had a cancer challenge in March," said Murphy.