Cases of coronavirus in New Jersey, which had fallen to its lowest levels since the pandemic just a week ago, are on the rise again, fueled in part by outbreaks among young adults along the Jersey shore.
In the past seven days, New Jersey has recorded an average of 416 cases per day, an increase of 28 percent from the average of two weeks earlier, according to a database maintained by The New York Times.
The increase has worried elected leaders and public health officials who say young people who enjoy summer parties are not taking enough precautions.
A party attended by dozens of Long Beach Island first responders has been linked to 35 cases of the virus, according to the state health commissioner. A home party in Middletown, NJ has been blamed for 65 new cases; 52 of the infected people were ages 15-19, said Governor Philip D. Murphy. And a prom in Westfield, NJ, further north, resulted in 17 cases.
“I just want to beg parents and children one more time,” Mr. Murphy said Monday. “Don’t congregate inside. Please do not do that. If you are going to meet, go outside. Wear a face covering. Stay away from each other. “
The head of the State Police said that the parties may be related to the continuous closure of bars and restaurants in the interior, which generated what he called an “clandestine situation.”
In perhaps the most dazzling example of this seeming thirst for summer revelry, a party in Jackson, NJ, some 65 miles south of Manhattan, drew more than 700 people Sunday night, prompting police to issue tickets to the three organizers. More than 100 cars were parked outside, and it took the police over five hours to clear the scene.
Just a week ago, New Jersey posted its lowest seven-day average of new daily coronavirus cases, 224, since the numbers peaked in the state in early April.
The milestone came even when the Jersey Shore beaches were in full swing, Atlantic City casinos were open, and cities across the state closed on the streets to create lively bazaars for outdoor dining.
Attendees to Mr. Murphy touted the achievement on Twitter, noting that New Jersey was the only state in the nation that achieved a two-week decrease in new cases of the virus.
On Thursday, it was New York’s turn to sing. Governor Andrew M. Cuomo noted that New York had reached new lows in the number of people hospitalized with Covid-19 or ventilators. The positive result rate was 1.09 percent in New York, less than half of New Jersey’s positive rate of 2.42 percent on Wednesday.
Cuomo said he had no plans to ban New Jersey residents from coming to New York.
“I don’t know how I could quarantine New Jersey,” said Cuomo. “They don’t fly to New York. You would have to block roads, and we are not talking about blockade. “
Officials in Mr. Murphy’s office noted Thursday that despite the increase, New Jersey remains among the six states with the fewest new daily infections per 100,000 residents. Part of the increase in the past week may also be related to a delay in test results, which they said are sometimes delivered in large batches, skewing daily case counts.
On Wednesday, for example, the state reported 489 new cases of the virus; on Thursday there were 261.
Still, the governor had no doubts about the worrying trend that had the potential to undermine months of conscientious efforts to reduce the spread of the virus that has been linked to 15,809 deaths in the state.
“In the past four months, we have crushed the curve,” he warned on Wednesday. “But folks, this is sobering.”
He added: “Now we are back, more or less, to where we were a month ago in the daily number of new cases. We cannot go backwards. We cannot afford to back down. “
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Frequent questions
Updated July 27, 2020
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Should I refinance my mortgage?
- It could be a good idea, because mortgage rates have never been lower. Refinancing applications have taken mortgage applications to some of the highest levels since 2008, so be ready to get online. But the defaults have increased, too, so if you’re thinking about buying a home, be aware that some lenders have tightened their standards.
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- Many schools are unlikely to return to normal hours this fall, requiring the routine of online learning, impromptu child care, and delayed work days to continue. California’s two largest public school districts, Los Angeles and San Diego, said July 13 that instruction will be remote only in the fall, citing concerns that rising coronavirus infections in their areas pose too serious a risk to students and teachers. Together, the two districts enroll about 825,000 students. They are the largest in the country so far to abandon plans for a partial physical return to classrooms when they reopen in August. For other districts, the solution will not be an all-or-nothing approach. Many systems, including the country’s largest New York City, are developing hybrid plans that involve spending a few days in classrooms and other days online. There is no national policy on this yet, so check with your municipal school system regularly to see what’s going on in your community.
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Is the coronavirus in the air?
- Coronavirus can remain in the air for hours in tiny droplets in stagnant air, infecting people as they inhale, growing scientific evidence suggests. This risk is highest in crowded interior spaces with poor ventilation, and may help explain overcast events reported in meat packing plants, churches, and restaurants. It is unclear how often the virus is transmitted through these small droplets or sprays, compared to the larger droplets that are expelled when a sick person coughs or sneezes, or is transmitted through contact with contaminated surfaces, Linsey said. Marr, Virginia Tech aerosol expert. Aerosols are released even when a symptom-free person exhales, speaks or sings, according to Dr. Marr and more than 200 other experts, who have summarized the evidence in an open letter to the World Organization. Of the health.
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What are the symptoms of coronavirus?
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Does Covid-19 transmit asymptomatic?
- So far, the evidence seems to show that it does. A widely cited article published in April suggests that people are most infectious approximately two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms, and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were the result of transmission from people who still had no symptoms. Recently, a senior expert from the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people without symptoms was “very rare,” but later withdrew that claim.
Perry N. Halkitis, an epidemiologist and dean of the Rutgers School of Public Health, agreed that the delay in test results blurs the daily data report.
But he said the seven-day trend is alarming.
“It’s time for us to say, ‘The indicators are bad,'” Halkitis said. “People are gathering without thinking about anything.”
He added: “It is almost as if we have to pause again, right now, before it is too late.”
The risk of the virus hit near its territory: The number of Rutgers University footballers infected with the virus rose to 15 on Wednesday, said Health Commissioner Judith M. Persichilli. The university announced Saturday that it suspended team activities in person and quarantined all players.
Mr. Halkitis said he was concerned about the reopening of schools in just over a month for in-person instruction.
“What keeps me awake at night are schools,” he said. “It’s absolutely a ‘uh-oh’ moment.”
George Helmy, the governor’s chief of staff, said he takes every increase in virus cases very seriously and will continue to monitor any changes in the spread of the virus.
Mr. Murphy has said that his goal is to try to open all schools for at least some face-to-face learning, although the final decisions are made by individual districts.
“New Jersey has the best public education system in the nation and the governor believes that in-person learning for our children is essential to their academic advancement, well-being, and social and mental development,” Helmy said Thursday.
“Public health informs all of our decisions and we continue to evaluate and reevaluate our data as we get closer to the first day of school.”
Amanda Rosa contributed reporting.
