NEWARK, N.J. (CBSNewYork) – New Jersey reported more than 3,000 new COVID infections Friday. The state’s daily case numbers remain at their highest levels since April. Now, hospitals in the northern part of the state, are being hit hard. As CBS2’s Nick Caloway reports, the number of new infections is rising in Newark, and more people are ending up in the hospital and the ICU. More: De Blasio Says NYC Parents Should Be Ready ‘As Early As Monday’ For All-Remote Learning University Hospital in Newark, which was hard-hit in the spring, passed a milestone in early September: Zero COVID patients for four days. Then came the second wave. “We’re actually approaching 40 as of this morning, Nick. And we’re still seeing positivity rates increase out of our community health clinic,” said Dr. Shereef Elnahal, president and CEO of UH Newark, the state’s only public hospital. CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC Health Experts Stress Need To Fight ‘Mask Exhaustion’ Tri-State Area Coronavirus Travel Advisory List CBS2’s Dr. Max Answers Your Health Questions Resources: Unemployment, Hunger, Mental Health & More Remote Learning Tools For Parents Teaching At Home Complete Coronavirus Coverage As more coronavirus patients come in, he worries about having enough staff when cases peak again. That’s because there won’t be as much out-of-state help on the front lines as we had in the spring. “We, as you mentioned, benefited from agency staffing, folks coming from out of state, the U.S. Army Reserves when the New York and New Jersey area were the global epicenter. But the pandemic was not yet affecting most of the country. Now that’s not the case. We’re seeing increases in almost every state,” Dr. Elnahal said. In New Jersey, hospitalizations are soaring. On Oct. 1, there were 523 COVID patients in New Jersey hospital beds. That number has since surged to more than 1,900 patients. More: Tighter COVID-19 Restrictions Go Into Effect Across New Jersey As Cases Continue To Climb At University Hospital, more patients are getting sicker and ending up in intensive care. But the news isn’t all bad. “It is encouraging that the death rate is dropping. And that’s primarily because the increase in cases has not yet hit, as much, vulnerable and older populations as it was in the spring,” Dr. Elnahal said. As the second wave hits New Jersey, Newark has become the epicenter of the state’s outbreak, where new restrictions are in place on restaurants and non-essential businesses, and curfews enacted in three zip codes. Statewide, restaurants must end indoor dining after 10 p.m. It’s all in an effort to flatten the curve, yet again. Beginning this weekend, state officials will be ramping up efforts to enforce those new restrictions in Newark and across the state. MORE FROM CBS NEW YORK Stimulus Package Update: What Will A Biden Administration Mean For More Aid? De Blasio Says NYC Parents Should Be Ready ‘As Early As Monday’ For All-Remote Learning Study: Simple Temperature Checks And Question Screening Not Very Effective Catching COVID-19 Spreaders You can get the latest news, sports and weather on our brand new CBS New York app. Download here .
See original here:
COVID In New Jersey: Hospital Official Expresses Concern As Cases Climb Because There’s No Backup Available This Time Around
