NJ COVID hospitalizations hit 10-month high
NEW JERSEY - Hospitalizations from COVID-19 have hit a 10-month high in New Jersey, according to the latest data released by state health officials.
A total of 1,329 patients are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 across 70 of the state's 71 hospitals as of Wednesday, the largest number of hospitalizations since February 15.
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Of those hospitalized, 152 are in intensive care and 62 are on ventilators.
State officials confirmed another 2,096 cases of COVID-19 across the state Wednesday, with 17 confirmed deaths from the virus.
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The statewide rate of transmission was 1.61 on Monday, up from 0.88 last Friday. A transmission rate of 1 means new cases have leveled off, while anything above 1 means more people are catching the virus.
Despite the increase, the state's numbers are still below last year's post-Thanksgiving surge, when the seven-day average for confirmed positive tests was 3,153 on December 7, 2021. Currently, the seven-day average is 1,763.
A total of 2,417,349 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the state since the beginning of the pandemic, with 32,087 confirmed fatalities.