New Jersey Now Expects Smaller Covid Peak Later in January

(Bloomberg) -- New Jersey may have 8,000 Covid-related hospitalizations, nearing the state’s pandemic peak, in the third week of January, according to Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli.

“We do believe we are going to have high levels for a couple of weeks,” Persichilli said Monday during a virus briefing. She said daily cases were expected to hit 20,000 to 30,000 through January.

An earlier prediction, based on modeling, suggested as many as 9,000 hospitalizations by Jan. 14. New Jersey had more than 8,000 virus-infected inpatients in April 2020. 

On Sunday, 6,075 people with Covid-19 were getting hospital treatment, with about 14% in intensive-care units. The state is beginning to see a decline in the number of new daily hospital admissions, Persichilli said.

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