NJ COVID Cases More Than Double From Last Week

NEW JERSEY — COVID-19 infections throughout New Jersey continue to climb upward, as state officials reported 6,505 new cases Monday. That's more than double the total of new cases reported the previous Monday in the Garden State.

State officials urged the public to use caution with Christmas and New Year's approaching. They also announced New Jersey residents could get free, at-home, saliva-based COVID-19 tests. Get home tests here.

“Please this week before the holiday, stay home if you are sick and get tested before any holiday gatherings, especially if you have any potential exposure,” New Jersey Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said during Monday's state coronavirus briefing.

The state health department has reported at least 6,000 new cases per day since Thursday, peaking at 6,533 for Sunday. It wasn't long ago when New Jersey's case totals were less than half that amount, reaching only 2,968 on Dec. 13.

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The increase in cases comes as world health officials warn of the omicron variant's contagiousness. The variant has a doubling time of 1.5 to 3 days, spreading "significantly faster" than the delta variant, the World Health Organization said Saturday.

The delta variant represented 97.9 percent of New Jersey's sequenced cases, according to the state's most recent surveillance report, from the week ending Dec. 4. But the Center for Disease Control said last week that the omicron variant represents 13 percent of New Jersey cases, which tied for the highest in the nation with New York.

New Jersey has 1,902 patients hospitalized with confirmed or suspected COVID as of Monday — the state's highest total since April 23, according to state officials.

Gov. Phil Murphy continued his push for people to get vaccinated against COVID and to get booster shots.

“Quite frankly, with what we know now about the omicron variant, if it is time for your booster, get it now," Murphy said.

Murphy reported 6,082 cases among fully vaccinated people in New Jersey from Nov. 29 to Dec. 5 — a portion of the state's 27,036 total cases. During that span, breakthrough patients represented 24 of the state's 1,198 COVID hospitalizations and none of New Jersey's 116 deaths from the virus.