Patients being hospitalized in New Jersey due to Covid-19 hit a four-month high on Tuesday, with health officials reporting 2,738 confirmed new cases and 14 more deaths from the virus.
A new, mutated form of the virus clinically called BA.2.75 is to blame for most of these new cases and hospitalizations, health officials say, which they add is likely the most contagious form of the virus to date.
As of Tuesday afternoon, there were 972 people hospitalized due to Covid-19 in New Jersey hospitals – the most since February 22.
New Jersey’s seven-day average of confirmed cases now stands at 2,623, a 15% increase from a week ago.
Six New Jersey counties – Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Monmouth and Morris – are now considered high-transmission areas, with the CDC recommending people in those counties to wear masks indoors. Few are actually following those recommendations.