It ranks 3rd in state for new weekly cases; NJ cases double over two weeks
CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE — The number of COVID-19 cases among Cape May County residents has been on the rise, with 639 active cases reported at the end of last week. The county is categorized as an area of high transmission.
Cases by municipality: Avalon — 3, Cape May — 11, Cape May Point — 2, Dennis Township — 41, Lower Township — 150, Middle Township — 145, North Wildwood — 11, Ocean City — 59, Sea Isle City — 10, Stone Harbor — 8, Upper Township — 118, West Cape May — 2, West Wildwood — 1, Wildwood — 43, Wildwood Crest — 22 and Woodbine — 13.
Of the state’s 21 counties, Cape May County ranked third in new weekly cases with 431 per 100,000 persons. The county was tied with Atlantic County for the most new hospital admissions at 18 per 100,000. Cape May County was in second place behind Cumberland County for the highest infection rate in the state. The county averaged 61 new cases per day per 100,000 residents.
A total of 87.7 percent of Cape May County residents have had at least one vaccination.
According to the New York Times tracking system, COVID cases nationally are up 40 percent over the past two weeks.
With many using at-home COVID tests, infections are being undercounted, according to White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha. He said results of at-home tests go unreported to health departments, so the true number of new infections in unknown.
Jha encouraged the public to get boosted and if they have a breakthrough infection, to ask their doctor about obtaining a prescription for Palovid.
Nationally, an average of 100,000 new cases are being reported daily — four times higher than this time last year. The number of cases in New Jersey has doubled in the past two weeks. Hospitalizations rose 12 percent last week.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends wearing masks indoors due to the high level of transmission.
The county has a cumulative total of 23,596 cases and 306 deaths since the start of the pandemic in 2020.
Cape May County had 1,800 active resident cases in early January and a peak of more than 2,300 cases in mid-January.
By JACK FICHTER/Sentinel staff