TRENTON, N.J. (WCBS 880) — New Jersey officials on Monday confirmed over 20,000 positive COVID-19 tests have been confirmed among students and staff in K-12 schools since the beginning of the school year.
The new information was compiled from nearly 60% of the state’s total number of schools, according to Department of Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli.
Persichilli elaborated that there have been a total of 18,474 student cases and 4,095 teacher and staff cases. In colleges and universities in the state, there have been 1,921 student cases and 483 teacher and staff cases.
“We are seeing increases in case rates recently among students and staff in both K-12 and the institutions of higher ed. Rates are higher among staff compared to students in both settings,” Persichilli added.
State health officials noted that the case rates in K-12 schools were highest in early October and had begun to decline until the second week of November, when they began to increase again.
Persichilli said that schools are bouncing back and continued to encourage vaccinations among students, teachers and staff members.
She highlighted that 85.2% of staff in K-12 schools are fully vaccinated.
New Jersey had issued a mandate requiring that all public and private school employees be fully vaccinated against the virus by Oct. 18, or undergo weekly COVID-19 testing.
Gov. Phil Murphy had also previously issued a mandate requiring that all students and faculty wear masks inside New Jersey schools. However, that order is set to expire on Jan. 11, 2022.
It remains unclear if the governor will take action to extend the order.