All Aberdeen-Area Hospitals Seeing Increase In COVID Admissions

ABERDEEN, NJ — Bayshore. Riverview. Raritan Bay.

All the community hospitals that serve Matawan/Aberdeen are reporting an increase in the number of patients currently hospitalized with coronavirus.

"We are experiencing COVID-19 volumes not seen since early June. These recent numbers lead us to believe we are experiencing our second wave," said M. Todd Way, the president of what Hackensack Meridian calls its "Central Market," which includes Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank, Bayshore Medical Center in Holmdel and both Raritan Bay locations (Old Bridge and Perth Amboy).

As of Thursday, Nov. 12, there are a total of 338 COVID patients admitted across all Hackensack Meridian Health hospitals statewide.

COVID hospitalizations are also up at RWJBarnabas Health and Saint Peter's University Hospital in New Brunswick.

Also on Thursday, Monmouth County reported 250 new positive cases of COVID-19. Compare that to July, when Monmouth County was reporting about 20 new cases every day.

A second wave this fall and winter "had been predicted" and all RWJBarnabas hospitals have been "stockpiling PPE and medications," said Dr. Christopher Freer, who runs the emergency medicine department at RWJBarnabas.

They've also contracted to hire more nurses this winter.

Hackensack Meridian hospitals are participating in several vaccine trials, including the Moderna and J&J trials, said Way. Hackensack Meridian is also providing support to Pfizer, which has developed a vaccine that is 90 percent effective.

"At Hackensack Meridian Health, our physicians and scientists are developing potential breakthroughs including conducting clinical trials on new therapies such as convalescent plasma therapy and Regeneron, an antibody treatment given to President Trump and former Governor Chris Christie," said Way.

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