New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has declared that the state is presently in “a foot race.”

This moment of truth is the equivalent of a match race between the citizens of New Jersey getting vaccinated for COVID-19 versus the growing number of positive cases that we are currently facing.

New Jersey now leads the nation in new cases, causing Governor Murphy to announce during a CNN television interview yesterday that the state most likely won’t take more steps to loosen safety restrictions for “some time now” because of the recent spikes in positive COVID-19 cases.

New Jersey now has a seven-day average for new confirmed cases of  3,349. This reflects an 8% increase from the prior week and a 24% increase from a month ago.

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There were just under 2,000 coronavirus hospitalizations through last Sunday, according to state data.

Despite the current spike, hospitalizations are down from January, 2021, when there was nearly twice as many. New Jersey has been around 2,000 hospitalizations over the past two weeks

If you’re wondering why the number of cases are on the rise in New Jersey, there is no specific reason available. Many feel it’s the additional variants of COVID-19 coming into play, which are believed to be more contagious.

Governor Murphy has confirmed that the state has identified more than 400 cases involving the newer variants, including:

  • The United Kingdom variant (389 cases)
  • California variant (7 cases of two different variants)
  • Brazil variant (3 cases)
  • South African variant (1 case)
  • New York variant (65 cases)

According to state officials, about 18% of adults have now been fully vaccinated in New Jersey.

The Governor has emphasized that COVID-19 cases are once again on the rise. Yesterday, Governor Murphy confirmed 2,608 positive tests, along with 28 deaths.

During yesterday’s briefing, Governor Murphy confirmed that “We are back to leading the nation in the spread of this virus.”

Governor Murphy added a point of emphasis, stating that “even those who have been vaccinated can still pass the illness. We still have to work to do together,” said Murphy.

It also must be noted that this is not just a New Jersey problem… COVID-19 cases are on the rise across the nation, with increased positive cases in more than half of the United States, as states race to vaccinate their citizens.

Nationally, we are presently averaging 2.5 million vaccinations per day.

As we always advise, please first check with your healthcare provider, and, if it’s deemed appropriate in your individual circumstance, please get vaccinated as soon as you’re eligible.

It has been my strong and consistent belief that the vaccine is the key for us to go from pandemic to endemic

SOURCES: New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy; CNN Television interview of 3/22/21, www.NJ.com & New Jersey state health department records.

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