(Courtesy of St. Mary’s General Hospital) With 55,000 new COVID-19 cases per day and growing, do you really believe that nobody in our shuls or community will come in contact with somebody who has the virus? This past Shabbat (July 4) the global COVID-19 case count hit an all-time high with 212,326 new infections reported, according to data from the World Health Organization surpassing the previous record of 190,566 daily cases, set June 28.
Governor Murphy advised individuals traveling to New Jersey from 16 states with significant spread of COVID-19 to quarantine for a 14-day period from the time of last contact within the identified state: Alabama; Arkansas; Arizona; California; Florida; Georgia; Iowa; Idaho; Louisiana; Mississippi; North Carolina; Nevada; South Carolina; Tennessee; Texas; and Utah.
Justifiably so, as at least four of these states saw record case increases this past weekend and five saw record hospitalizations. North Carolina reported a record 2,099 new cases; Idaho reported 401 new infections; Florida reported 11,445 new cases and surpassed 200,000 total cases in the state on July 5; Texas reported a record 8,258 cases on July 4, marking it the first time that state has seen more than 8,000 cases in one day.
Adult ICU beds were 100% occupied at 44 Florida hospitals, according to data from the Florida Agency for Healthcare Administration. In Arizona, 89% of adult ICU beds were occupied as of July 4. That same day, 3,182 people were hospitalized in the state for COVID-19, the highest number yet, with 821 ICU beds in use by suspected or positive COVID-19 patients. South Carolina, Texas, Arizona, Nevada and California reported a record number of hospitalizations, according to data tracked by The Washington Post.
And yet, in our communities we see people out without masks, not socially distancing and often gathering in groups as though the pandemic is over.
At St. Mary’s General Hospital, we would like to strongly emphasize the importance of protecting yourselves and your families by following simple guidelines, which, by the way, are strongly advised by the Passaic-Clifton COVID-19 Task Force and the CDC:
Practice social distancing and wear a mask
Avoid close contact with people who are sick
Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth
Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds (sing Happy Birthday twice)
When to Seek Emergency Medical Attention
Look for emergency warning signs for COVID-19. If someone is showing any of these signs, seek emergency medical care immediately:
- Fever
- Trouble breathing
- Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
- New confusion
- Inability to wake or stay awake
- Bluish lips or face
- Sudden loss of taste and/or smell
This list is not all possible symptoms. Please call your medical provider for any other symptoms that are severe or concerning to you.
Call Hatzolah or call ahead to your local emergency facility: Notify the operator that you are seeking care for someone who has or may have COVID-19.
St. Mary’s General Hospital, nationally recognized and locally preferred, is among the top hospitals in the U.S. for health, quality, and patient safety! St. Mary’s General is a proud member of Prime Healthcare, which has more Patient Safety Excellence Award recipients for five consecutive years (2016-2020) than any other health system in the country.
St. Mary’s General Hospital, 350 Boulevard, Passaic, NJ 07055 is providing safe care during COVID-19 and always, visit https://www.smh-nj.com/ or Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/StMarysGeneral. For questions, please contact George Matyjewicz, PhD, Community Liaison at [email protected]
