New Jersey health officials are putting out warning signals following new numbers indicating that COVID-19 cases have gradually risen over the last few weeks. Officials expect the trend will continue throughout the winter as nearly 500 people in the Garden State were hospitalized for the virus, according to New Jersey’s health department.
Epidemiologist and associate dean of research at Montclair State University Stephanie Silvera spoke with anchor Briana Vannozzi and explained how you can stay safe as many prepare for the holiday season.
The rise in cases and hospitalization marks the first major uptick in new coronavirus cases in the U.S. in months. And, with another new variant driving the rise in infections, the World Health Organization is calling this new strain “one to watch.”
“Hospitalizations are ticking up, but that’s also to be expected after the holidays,” Silvera said. “We’ve seen this pattern before. The problem is, not a lot of people are getting boosted at this point, and so our overall level of immunity is a little bit lower.”
“If you can meet outdoors, keep windows open, improve ventilation, and I think one of the really important things is if you feel sick, stay home,” she said.
