TOMS RIVER, NJ – Hospital workers across New Jersey are celebrating the rapid reduction of COVID-19 patients on ventilators as figures released today show just 49 people statewide still on ventilators. Many of those on ventilators are long term intensive care patients from the peak of the outbreak earlier this spring and summer. At the height of the pandemic in April, 1,700 patients were on ventilators, but now as hospitals know how to better treat COVID-19 symptoms in the early stages. Hospitalizations in New Jersey have been on a sharp decline since May.
As the number of patients on ventilators continues to fall across the state, the hospital system in New Jersey right now is at just 1.6% of total ventilator capacity.
Hospitalization due to COVID-19 remains down by 90% or more since the April peak in all categories. New hospitalizations are down 96%. Total COVID-19 patients are down 91%. ICU patients are down by 94% and ventilator use is down 97% since April.
Just 352 patients are now hospitalized statewide with COVID-19 infections, few requiring intensive care and a nearly 0% rate of new patients being put on ventilators according to figures released by the New Jersey Department of Health. Of those 352 patients, 113 are in critical or intensive care, many being long term care patients still fighting the disease from April and May.
Stock Photo by Javier Matheu on Unsplash.