Essex Countys Weekly COVID Cases Up 7 Percent: See Town Updates – Newark, NJ Patch

XX COUNTY, NJ — The coronavirus continues to take a grim toll on Essex County, impacting local businesses and schools in the region, according to updated state data (see town-by-town totals below).

Essex County reported 54,229 total cases on Saturday, an increase of 3,944, or 7 percent, over the previous week.

The rise is reflected in the state Department of Health’s most recent “COVID-19 Activity Level Report,” which is issued weekly. The most recent report, released Thursday, says all Essex County still is in the “red zone” for coronavirus cases.

The “red zone” means the daily new COVID-19 virus case rate, per 100,000 people, rose to “very high” in all 21 counties. That means they exceed 25 cases per 1,000 people over a seven-day average.

The latest reports say the overall coronavirus activity level also rose from “moderate,” or “yellow,” to “high,” or “orange,” in recent weeks in all 21 New Jersey counties.

With the rise to a “high” level, state officials said, school districts in those counties may have to take more serious steps — such as quarantining or even shutting down schools — if a child shows the symptoms of COVID-19.

“When it is high risk, there are some recommendations that we make together with local school boards,” said Edward Lifshitz, medical director for the state Department of Health.

Indeed, a number of school districts have shifted to remote instruction as the numbers have risen.

The overall coronavirus risk rose to “high” in each of the counties because:

  • The new daily case rate in each of the counties rose to 10 or more per 100,000 people.
  • The percent of COVID-19-like illnesses rose above 5.52 in each of the counties.
  • The percent of positive cases rose above 10.01.

Essex County officials provided the following breakdown of cases by town:

  • Belleville 3535
  • Bloomfield 3411
  • Caldwell 345
  • Cedar Grove 1028
  • East Orange 4353
  • Essex Fells 127
  • Fairfield 544
  • Glen Ridge 209
  • Irvington 2947
  • Livingston 1188
  • Maplewood 755
  • Millburn 511
  • Montclair 1363
  • Newark 24639
  • North Caldwell 274
  • Nutley 1727
  • Orange 2205
  • Roseland 312
  • South Orange 460
  • Verona 572
  • West Caldwell 657
  • West Orange 3024