NJ Is 3rd Least Safe State During COVID, Report Says: Here's Why

NEW JERSEY – A new report released on Thursday says New Jersey is the third least safe state amid COVID, and it ranks low in several categories.

WalletHub released its report on the Safest States During COVID-19, comparing the 50 states and the District of Columbia across five key metrics.

The data set includes the rates of COVID-19 transmission, positive testing, hospitalizations and deaths, as well as the share of the eligible population getting vaccinated.

New Jersey’s ranks low in three categories in particular, according to the study from WalletHub:

• 47th – Positive Testing Rate
• 50th – Hospitalization Rate
• 50th – Death Rate

The report follows another that says New Jersey's strategy to curb the spread of coronavirus last year was ranked among the least effective in the nation.

The new analysis by UC Berkeley's Othering & Belonging Institute said New Jersey was ranked 46th out of 50 states in terms of performance despite having some of the toughest, more restrictive COVID-19 orders in the nation. Read more: NJ Coronavirus Response Ranks Among Worst In America: Index

The report says that increased vaccination and warmer weather should have an impact on safety amid the pandemic, but New Jersey argues that its immunization is among the best in the nation. Indeed, eligibility expanded to a number of groups just this past week. Read more: COVID-19 Vaccine Availability Expands Again In NJ: What To Know

Gov. Phil Murphy said on Wednesday that the stoppage of Johnson & Johnson immunizations, however, will impact COVID vaccines while cases continue to remain high. Read more: More Time Needed On NJ Johnson & Johnson COVID Vaccine: CDC Panel

"We all together will react well, and figure out this minor setback, and get us back on track, and get us to the point that we know we want to get to," Murphy said. "And secondly, getting 4.7 million adult New Jerseyans vaccinated by the end of June. We are committed to both."

The pause also comes at a time when the number of COVID-19 cases continues to remain at a level that's too high in the Garden State. On Wednesday, Murphy announced that the positivity rate is up 3 percent since Monday, increasing from 8.39 percent to 11.04 percent.

Officials said they are concerned about increased transmission as a result of the variants that have been identified in New Jersey, which includes 1,130 cases of the UK variant and 19 cases of the Brazilian variant.

"When individuals get vaccinated, it helps protect them, their loved ones and their community," Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said. "Millions of people in the United States have been vaccinated safely."

The statewide rate of transmission continues to trend in the right direction, Murphy said, with a seven-day average of 0.92. The rate of positivity, on the other hand, was 11.04 percent on Wednesday.

"That does not surprise us in the least. We've said this many times that the positivity rate from Monday through Friday has been in the 7 percent to 8 percent range now for a couple of months," he said. "And sure enough on weekends, because of fewer tests, people testing with an adverse selection, they don't feel well ... We take it seriously, believe me, but that is not surprising."

The report notes that restaurants and events will soon offer more socially-distanced outside seating, which is safer than gathering inside. You can read the full report here.

"Businesses and events can expand their capacity limits without compromising safety as a result,” said Jill Gonzalez, WalletHub analyst.

“Since nearly all adults will be eligible for the vaccine by April 19, the U.S. will become a lot safer in the coming months, which in turn will have a tremendously positive impact on the economy. More vaccination leads to greater consumer confidence, and the number of people who are willing to shop in person should rise sharply because people know they are protected by the vaccine,” she said.

Increased safety will have an especially big impact on certain industries, like travel, which experienced big revenue drops due to both government restrictions and people being afraid to be in an enclosed space with others, she said.

"The safer conditions are, the more businesses will thrive as restrictions are lifted and consumers return," she said.

The most important thing that residents can do to increase the safety of their community and state is to get vaccinated when they are eligible. While the vaccines being offered have a high efficacy, how well they are able to curb the pandemic also depends on the share of the population that chooses to get vaccinated, said Gonzalez.

“Until we achieve widespread vaccination and get the pandemic under control, people should continue to wear masks in public and practice social distancing to achieve the highest level of safety possible,” he said.

At the moment, Wallethub has found a weak positive correlation between the vaccination rate ranking and the death rate ranking, said Gonzalez.

“It's important to consider the fact that only around 23 percent of the population is vaccinated so far, but a much greater portion will become eligible for vaccination soon," she said. "In the future, we should expect a stronger correlation between the two variables as the vaccination rate increases.”