New Jersey And Massachusetts Grapple With Covid Uptick As Cases Reach Highest Levels Since May

Topline

New coronavirus cases have hit five-month highs in New Jersey and Massachusetts in recent days, signaling an end to months of low Covid-19 activity and the beginning of a worrying new uptick for two Northeast states that were among the nation’s hardest-hit over the spring.

Key Facts

Tangent

Massachusetts and New Jersey are not the only states struggling with a coronavirus uptick. The United States hit a nationwide record for daily Covid-19 infections on Friday, led by uncontrolled outbreaks in states like Wisconsin and South Dakota.

Big Number

225,357. That’s the total number of Americans who have died from the coronavirus since the pandemic started, according to data from the New York Times. New Jersey and Massachusetts have seen 16,292 and 9,864 deaths respectively, making their outbreaks the first and third deadliest in the nation in terms of fatalities per 100,000 people.

Key Background

When the coronavirus spread rapidly across the Northeast over the spring, Massachusetts and New Jersey suffered from two of the earliest and deadliest outbreaks in the country. In response, public officials there imposed some of the nation’s strictest social distancing rules: almost all gatherings were banned, many nonessential businesses shut their doors, and residents were urged to stay at home whenever possible. New cases began plummeting by May, and both states started reopening businesses and allowing residents to emerge from their homes by June. Plus, Massachusetts welcomed thousands of out-of-state college students back to Boston. Though case counts remained low for most of this reopening drive, infections are now increasing again. Some local officials are rolling out extra restrictions, but both states’ governors remain wary of reinstating sweeping closures or curfews.

Crucial Quote

“These numbers signal that we need to consider whether we need to roll back some parts of reopening, including things like indoor dining and other aspects that we know carry greater risks,” Dr. Nahid Bhadelia, an infectious diseases physician at Boston Medical Center, told the Boston Globe Thursday.

Further Reading

Another ominous coronavirus sign: Massachusetts cases reach 5-month high (Boston Globe)

N.J. reports 1,223 new COVID-19 cases, 7 more deaths. ‘The numbers are surging,’ Gov. Murphy says (NJ.com)

Trendline Direction Is Difference Between May, October Virus Numbers (WBUR)

U.S. Shatters Daily Covid Record With Over 83,000 New Cases (Forbes)

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