New Jersey COVID-19 hospitalizations surge 34 percent in the past 2 weeks

New Jersey coronavirus hospitalizations climbed 34 percent over a two-week period, reaching a six-month high, according to the latest data from the Garden State.

Hospitalizations reached 3,287 over the last two weeks, according to Bloomberg, including a 6 percent rise in the last 24 hours alone.

At least 100 employees at a single hospital, Brick Township’s Ocean Medical Center, were reportedly infected with the virus this week. The hospital’s parent company, Hackensack Meridian, maintained that the hospital remains adequately staffed despite the surge in cases.

“We continue to have adequate staffing for both COVID-19 cases and elective surgeries, and follow all rigorous safety protocols established by the CDC and the New Jersey Department of Health,” spokesman Benjamin Goldstein said in a statement, according to NJ.com.

“As a result of COVID-19 being widespread in the community, we are also continually reinforcing our safety guidelines with team members to ensure they are maintaining infection prevention practices both inside and outside of the medical center — frequent hand washing, wearing a mask, physical distancing, and staying home when you are sick,” Goldstein’s statement added.

New Jersey currently has 341,910 cases of the virus and has recorded 17,083 deaths, with a testing positivity rate of 5.61 percent, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Gov. Phil Murphy (D) said Monday that the state will end indoor sporting events to stem the spread of the virus.

“Stability in our health care system starts with carefully chosen steps to hamper the spread of the virus and because of the data, we know how and where we can best beat this challenge,” Murphy said. “We’re seeing outbreaks related to indoor sports and this is a prudent short-term step to slow the spread.”