Warren County Continues 'Downward Trend' In Key COVID Measures

WARREN COUNTY, NJ — New data has been released that shows the coronavirus continues to have an impact on Warren County (see town-by-town totals below). And some news is good.

By several measures, Warren County is continuing with a downward trend as the fight against the pandemic goes on, officials said. The Warren County Health Department said there are 166 confirmed COVID-19 cases over the past week, down from 184 the week before, and increases of 279, 295, 309 and 419 in the preceding weeks.

There are three COVID-positive patients on ventilators in Warren County hospitals, two more receiving ICU treatment, and seven more COVID-19 hospitalizations in the county (totaling 12), compared to 30 hospitalizations, four of them in ICU, at the beginning of this month.

However, the deaths of five more Warren County residents in the past week, four who were confirmed COVID-19 cases and one listed as a probable case, were reported.

"As restrictions continue to lessen, we need to remain vigilant and protect ourselves and others. Wear a mask, practice social distancing, and stay home if you're sick," officials said. "And we will keep trying to increase the amount of vaccine doses that are available, to make it easier to sign up and get vaccinated."

You can read the full weekly report on the website.

The disease’s impact is reflected in the state Department of Health's most recent "COVID-19 Activity Level Report," which is issued weekly. The most recent report, released Thursday, says Warren County is in the orange zone.

If the county is in the "orange" zone, it means it has a rate of 10 to 25 cases per 100,000 people. “Yellow” means the county has a rate 1 to 10 cases per 100,000 people.

If the overall activity is at a "orange" level, state officials say, school districts in those counties would have to take more serious steps — such as quarantining or even shutting down schools — if a child shows the symptoms of COVID-19.

"When it is high risk, there are some recommendations that we make together with local school boards," said Edward Lifshitz, medical director for the state Department of Health.

Indeed, a number of school districts still provide remote instruction even as the number of new daily cases has dropped in recent weeks.

Warren County officials provided the following breakdown of confirmed cases, followed by recovered:

• Allamuchy, 205, 194
• Alpha, 117, 111
• Belvidere, 123, 115
• Blairstown, 291, 274
• Franklin, 126, 120
• Frelinghuysen, 166, 140
• Greenwich, 338, 314
• Hackettstown, 723, 666
• Hardwick, 53, 48
• Harmony, 120, 108
• Hope, 73, 66
• Independence, 240, 213
• Knowlton, 161, 153
• Liberty, 110, 95
• Lopatcong, 790, 710
• Mansfield, 469, 425
• Oxford, 99, 87
• Phillipsburg, 864, 798
• Pohatcong, 204, 192
• Washington Borough, 350, 331
• Washington Township, 296, 268
• White, 219, 188
• Total, 6,137 5,616

In Warren County there are a total of 462 cases reported in long-term care facilities where they have been 195 deaths and 140 recovered.

Fluctuations in numbers from previous dates may be due to cases being transferred out of jurisdiction and/or further investigation revealing that the case was incorrectly reported to the NJDOH/local health department as confirmed.

The figures reflect COVID-19 positive cases as of the date and time indicated, some cases may be pending, or have yet to be entered into the system.

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