Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Third Wave Hits NJ As Hospitalizations Rise Among Younger Groups
By
Karen Yi
Published Mar 31, 2021
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Edwin J. Torres/ NJGovernor’s Office
By
Karen Yi
Published Mar 31, 2021
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
New Jersey health officials are warning of a “long and difficult” spring and summer as COVID-19 hospitalizations in the state continue to rise.
“We are definitely in another wave of this virus,” State Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli said during a press briefing in Trenton on Wednesday.
New Jersey has one of the highest per capita infection rates in the country with a rolling 7-day average of about 4,400 cases a day. Across the state’s 71 hospitals, more than 2,300 people are sick with the coronavirus—a 21% increase in the last two weeks. Another 344 COVID patents were admitted in the last 24 hours—a 28% increase in new hospitalizations in the last two weeks.
But Persichilli said the bulk of severe cases is coming from those under 60 years old. She said hospitalizations for people in their 20s increased by 31% this month. For people in their 40s, it surged by 50%. While patients needing intensive care increased by 16%, ventilator use has decreased slightly.
Health officials said part of the reason why younger people are getting hospitalized is because those 65 and older have been eligible for the vaccine since mid-January.
“We have two-thirds of that population vaccinated already and we’ve seen the benefits of that in the long-term care facilities where the incidents of disease have declined almost to zero compared to what we had before,” said state epidemiologist Eddy Bresnitz.
Those ages 16-64 are only eligible for the vaccine if they have an underlying medical condition or qualify in an essential worker group that’s been prioritized. New Jersey so far has vaccinated more than 1.5 million people and launched a new online tool that will help users find available vaccine appointments.
Governor Phil Murphy said new state models for moderate and worst case scenarios predict cases and hospitalizations will remain high through June. In the moderate scenario, the third wave will peak on April 18th—with 5,545 new positive tests and 2,669 hospitalizations. Cases will remain around 5,000 through April, dropping under 3,000 by mid-June. And hospitalizations won’t drop under 1,000 until August.
In the worst-case scenario, the state will hit a high of 8,000 cases in mid-May, with cases remaining on those levels through mid-June and hospitalizations peaking around 3,500.
The state did not meet its moderate or worse-case scenario projections during the first and second wave of the virus.
"We crushed the wave twice, let's do it a third time, hopefully the final time," Murphy said Wednesday.
Tagged
phil murphy
pandemic
nj
Karen Yi
Karen Yi covers homelessness and poverty. She joined the WNYC and Gothamist newsroom in 2020. Before that, Karen covered Newark for the Star-Ledger and spent almost a decade working for newspapers in New Jersey and Florida. She grew up in Miami and has a dog named Cashew. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or Signal 917-589-1460.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
These are the NYC neighborhoods that will get free 2-K next fall
All of Staten Island and the Bronx will be eligible for seats.
By
Karen Yi
Published Oct 19, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. ET
Modified Oct 19, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. ET
Early Addition: Get to know Wanda, the donkey in the Met's 'La Bohème'
Because she's 18 years old now, here are your early links: The RHONY castmember mentioned in the Epstein Files, killing rats with carbon monoxide, Selena Gomez says don't vape and more.
By
James Ramsay
News
Early Addition: Get to know Wanda, the donkey in the Met's 'La Bohème'
Because she's 18 years old now, here are your early links: The RHONY castmember mentioned in the Epstein Files, killing rats with carbon monoxide, Selena Gomez says don't vape and more.
By
James Ramsay
Eric Adams' NYC buildings boss Eric Ulrich heads to trial, 3 years after arrest
By
David Brand
and
Samantha Max
Need help with mental health or addiction services? NYC has a new tool.
By
Caroline Lewis
NYC sues personal injury law firm accused of bogus trip-and-fall claims
By
Walter Wuthmann
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .