NJ Reports 1,000+ COVID Hospitalizations for 1st Time Since May, Renewing Delta Fears

For the first time in months, New Jersey has reported more than 1,000 COVID-related hospitalizations, Gov. Phil Murphy announced Wednesday. A jump in hospitalization that is renewing coronavirus concerns brought on by the delta variant.

This latest announcement comes mere days after the state mandated the vaccine for educators who will return to work this school year. This mandate requires all school personnel working in grade levels between preschool and twelfth grade be fully vaccinated by Oct. 18. Employees who do not comply by that deadline must undergo regular testing, the governor added.

We are back over 1,000+ COVID-related hospitalizations for the first time since May 11th.⁰⁰We’ve come too far to go backward. Data shows the vaccines continue to be highly effective against hospitalization. Get vaccinated and let’s end this.⁰⁰https://t.co/DpwxnEAPpS

— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) August 25, 2021

Previously, staff in New Jersey's hospitals, corrections facilities and assisted living centers had to get inoculated by Sept. 7.

The fight against COVID-19 has centered around getting as many people as possible vaccinated. While tri-state officials have been ratcheting up pressure to get more people inoculated, some residents are still hesitant to do so. It is unclear how many of those hospitalized due to COVID-related illness in New Jersey are unvaccinated and how many cases are of the delta variant. However, Gov. Phil Murphy urged those who have not been vaccinated and can do so, to get inoculated.

It's unclear how many state employees, teachers and child care workers remain unvaccinated in New Jersey. To date, over six million (68.9%) New Jerseyans have received at least one dose of the vaccine, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Murphy said Monday that his administration has heard from local reports that an overwhelming majority of teachers are already vaccinated.

The state's biggest teachers union, the New Jersey Education Association, supported the order.

“This Executive Order is another example of Gov. Murphy’s unwavering commitment to health and safety of NJEA members and the students we serve,” said union President-elect Sean Spiller.

NJ Joins List of States to Require COVID-19 Vaccine for Teachers, State Employees

The urgency for vaccine mandates comes as hospital admissions for confirmed COVID cases in kids under 18 are at their highest level in three months in the greater New York area -- and nationally, they're at the highest levels recorded yet.

Earlier this month, New Jersey's health commissioner said the percentage of those hospitalized with COVID who were children had tripled since January. With kids under 12 still unable to get the shot, masks, social distancing and vaccine mandate for teachers can help drive down cases and protect the unvaccinated.

"All these developments point to an urgent need for everyone to get vaccinated, especially for parents to take their 12- to 17-year-olds to be vaccinated as soon as possible," New Jersey Department of Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli said earlier this month.

Meanwhile, a Monmouth University Poll published Monday found that two-thirds of New Jersey voters, including parents of school-age children, support the state’s school mask mandate, however, they are more divided on the idea of requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for age-eligible children.

Meanwhile, some parents across the tri-state are fighting for remote learning option instead of in-person instruction when September arrives. A petition started by the group called NJ Parents for Virtual Choice has garnered nearly 15,000 signatures.