N.J.’s in-school COVID outbreaks increase to 126 with 658 cases among students, staff – NJ.com

There have now been 126 in-school COVID outbreaks that have led to 658 cases among students, teachers and staff since the start of the academic year, according to numbers updated by the state Department of Health on Tuesday.

The figures are cumulative totals since the start of the school year with most of the cases having already been resolved. In-school outbreaks are narrowly defined and confirmed through contact tracing. Last week, the state reported 96 outbreaks and 521 cases.

Camden County — with five new outbreaks and 22 additional cases — and Ocean County — with four new outbreaks and 22 more cases — experienced the biggest jumps in the past week. Five counties reported no new outbreaks — Atlantic, Cape May, Essex, Hunterdon and Middlesex.

There have still been no confirmed outbreaks in any schools in Burlington or Warren counties.

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The cumulative in-school outbreaks and cases as of Wednesday with new outbreaks and cases since last week in parentheses:

Atlantic County: 12 outbreaks involving a total of 43 cases; (no new outbreaks)
Bergen County: 9 outbreaks involving 45 cases; (2 new outbreaks with 7 new cases)
Camden County: 16 outbreaks involving 64 cases; (5 new outbreaks with 22 new cases)
Cumberland County: 4 outbreaks involving 22 cases; (1 new outbreak with 5 new cases)
Cape May County: 4 outbreaks involving 15 cases; (no new outbreaks)
Essex County: 5 outbreaks involving 20 cases; (no new outbreaks)
Gloucester County: 5 outbreaks involving 33 cases; (1 new outbreak with 8 cases)
Hudson County: 4 outbreaks involving 16 cases; (1 new outbreak with 4 cases)
Hunterdon County: 3 outbreak involving 33 cases (no new outbreaks)
Mercer County: 10 outbreaks involving a total of 46 cases; (1 new outbreak with 7 cases)
Middlesex County: 1 outbreak involving 6 cases (no new outbreaks)
Monmouth County: 12 outbreaks involving a total of 59 cases; (2 new outbreaks with 12 cases)
Morris County: 6 outbreaks involving 27 cases (1 new outbreak with 2 cases)
Ocean County: 8 outbreaks involving 39 cases (4 new outbreaks with 22 cases)
Passaic County: 5 outbreaks involving 72 cases (3 new outbreaks with 10 cases)
Salem County: 3 outbreak involving 12 cases; (2 new outbreaks with 9 new cases)
Somerset County: 4 outbreaks involving 29 cases; (1 new outbreak with 3 new cases)
Sussex County: 11 outbreaks involving a total of 45 cases (5 new outbreaks with 21 new cases)
Union County: 4 outbreak involving 32 cases (1 new outbreak with 3 cases)

Two weeks ago, Gov. Phil Murphy announced the state will require all schools in the state to report all COVID-19 testing and vaccination data among students and staff members to the state health department on a weekly basis regardless of where infections occurred.

Since Monday, anyone who works at any school — public or private — has been required to be vaccinated or be subject to testing for the coronavirus at least once a week.

In the 2020-21 school year, New Jersey had 281 school outbreaks involving 1,263 positive tests among students, teachers and school staff. Many districts spent a large part of the year either fully remote or in a hybrid setting.

The definition of a “school outbreak” has changed this year. The state previously defined a school outbreak as cases where two or more students, teachers or school staff caught the virus at school. This year, the definition was changed to three or more students to align with how the federal Centers for Disease Control counts school outbreaks, state officials said.

The outbreak numbers include only cases where contact tracers believe people caught the virus at school. They do not include students, teachers and school staff who tested positive, but are believed to have contracted the virus at home or during other activities outside school.

Everyone 12 and older is eligible for a free vaccine. Health experts have repeatedly said the vaccines are safe and effective at significantly reducing the chance of hospitalization and death. Children from ages 5 to 11 are expected to be eligible later this year.

NJ Advance Media staff writer Matt Arco contributed to this report.

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Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com.