New Jersey tops 1,000 COVID-19 hospitalizations for first time since May

TRENTON, New Jersey (WPVI) -- For the first time since May there are more than 1,000 COVID-19 related hospitalizations in the state of New Jersey.

A chart from New Jersey's COVID-19 website shows 1,012 people hospitalized as of Tuesday.

The last time the state reported more than 1,000 hospitalizations was on May 11.

"We've come too far to go backward. Data shows the vaccines continue to be highly effective against hospitalization. Get vaccinated and let's end this," Gov. Phil Murphy said in a tweet.

Murphy included a link for the state's vaccination appointment finder.

New Jersey leads the region in COVID-19 vaccination numbers, with nearly 73% of adults 18+ fully immunized.

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VACCINE MANDATE FOR SCHOOL WORKERS, STATE EMPLOYEES

This update comes days after Murphy ordered that all school workers and state employees in New Jersey be vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo frequent testing.

In a news conference on Monday, Gov. Phil Murphy said those workers must be vaccinated by October 18.

Anyone who is not vaccinated by then will have to undergo regular testing. Murphy said that testing will be a minimum of once to twice each week.

"We're continuing to do all we can to ensure a safe start to the school year. Strong masking and vaccination protocols, in tandem with other safety measures, are our best consolidated tool for keeping our schools open for full-time, in-person instruction," Murphy said on Monday.

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