COVID-19 - Info & Resources

Where we stand right now

We have made great strides in our efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Our communities have reopened and our schools are in session. Every statewide mask mandate in the country has been lifted.

However, we must not let our guard down.

Cases are on the rise globally, driven by the continued spread of Omicron and its highly transmissible subvariant BA.2.

In the United States, the BA.2 Omicron subvariant has now become the dominant strain circulating.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) currently estimates that BA.2 represents 72% of all new COVID-19 infections.

The hardest-hit region is currently the Northeast, where BA.2 is currently causing more than 82% of all cases.

We're already seeing cases increase in our state. In the coming weeks, it is likely we'll see an uptick of cases across the country.

Remember, the best way to protect yourself and others is to stay up to date with vaccinations and boosters, get tested when exposed or sick.

Private insurance and Medicaid already cover at-home tests for free. This week, the Biden Administration announced that Medicare will fully cover up to 8 at-home tests each month for Medicare Part B beneficiaries.

This announcement heeds a direct request I made urgently demanding this necessary policy change.

Available vaccines are safe and highly effective at protecting people from serious illness and death.

Booster shots provide optimal protection, especially against the Omicron variant.

Vaccinated and boosted people are 41 times less likely to die of COVID-19 than unvaccinated individuals.

Residents ages 5 and older are eligible for a vaccine and fully inoculated residents ages 12 and over are eligible for a booster dose at any vaccine location across the state.

Anyone 50 and older is eligible for a second booster dose at least four months after their first booster shot.

Find the vaccine site closest to you here!

Thanks to the incredible progress we have made on vaccinations, treatments and testing, we are reaching a point where COVID-19 need no longer control our lives.

Vaccinated and boosted people are 41 times less likely to die of COVID-19 than unvaccinated individuals.

Residents ages 5 and older are eligible for a vaccine and fully inoculated residents ages 12 and over are eligible for a booster dose at any vaccine location across the state. Find the vaccine site closest to you here!

Thanks to the incredible progress we have made on vaccinations, treatments and testing, we are reaching a point where COVID-19 need no longer control our lives.

Case Trends

We have slowed the spread across the country. Cases have now plateaued, while hospitalizations and deaths continue to fall to levels not seen since last July.

The CDC continues to track local transmission across the country, by classifying counties as having 'low', 'medium', or 'high' transmission.

A county's transmission level is classified as 'low' if new hospital admissions are fewer than 10 out of every 100,000 people or fewer than 10% of hospital beds are occupied by COVID-19 patients.

Latest Numbers in the United States

The vast majority of counties across the United States are now classified as having 'low' COVID transmission.

Currently, 3,057 counties (95%) are classified as having 'low' transmission, 146 counties (4.5%) are classified as having 'medium' transmission, and 17 counties (0.5%) are classified as having 'high' transmission'.

Cases: The seven-day average for new daily cases nationally is now 28,693, a decrease of 1% over the last two weeks.
Hospitalizations: The seven-day average for hospitalizations stands at 15,383, a decrease of 27% over the last two weeks.
Deaths: The seven-day average for daily deaths is 602, an a decrease of 40% over the last two weeks.

Latest Numbers in New Jersey

Every county in New Jersey is classified by the CDC as having 'low' transmission, but we have experienced a recent uptick in cases driven by the Omicron BA.2 subvariant.

Cases: The seven-day average for new daily cases in our state is 1,326, an increase of 57% over the last two weeks.
Hospitalizations: The seven-day average for hospitalizations stands at 397, a decrease of 14% over the last two weeks.

Deaths: The seven-day average for daily deaths is 6, a decrease of 35% over the last two weeks.

Safely Reopening our Communities

The United States has made tremendous progress in our fight against COVID-19.

Our national progress has enabled most Americans to remove their masks, return to work, stay in the classroom, and move forward safely without shutdowns of schools or businesses.

Thanks to vital investments by Congress and the Biden Administration, the American people have free and widely available access to lifesaving vaccines, booster shots, treatments, tests, and high-quality masks.

Now you can find all of these resources and more in one place.

The Biden Administration has launched COVID.gov (Español), a new one-stop shop to help all people in the United States gain even better access to lifesaving tools like vaccines, tests, treatments, and masks, as well as get the latest updates on COVID-19.

Over the past fourteen months, Congress and the Biden Administration have worked to beat back COVID.

Our national progress has enabled most Americans to remove their masks, return to work, stay in the classroom, and move forward safely without shutdowns of schools or businesses.

The Biden Administration has worked to set up over 90,000 federal vaccination sites, make more than 400 million high-quality masks available for free, send one billion free tests to peoples’ homes, and stand up new test-to-treat sites where people can get tested and receive life-saving antivirals at the same location.

Now you can find all of these resources and more in one place.

Yesterday, the Biden Administration launched COVID.gov (Español), a new one-stop shop to help all people in the United States gain even better access to lifesaving tools like vaccines, tests, treatments, and masks, as well as get the latest updates on COVID-19.

Last week, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized a second booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine for individuals 50 years of age and older and certain immunocompromised individuals, at least 4 months after receipt of a first booster dose.

Nearly 218 million Americans are now fully vaccinated and 98.1 million Americans have received an additional booster dose.

New Jersey continues to be among the nation's most-vaccinated states.

More than 6.8 million residents have received their initial course of vaccinations, and 3.2 million of our neighbors have received a booster dose.

Additionally, this week the Biden Administration announced a whole-of-government effort develop and issue the first-ever national research action plan on Long COVID.

This critical effort will advance progress in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment for individuals experiencing Long COVID. Further, the Administration will assess what new support systems are needed to provide affordable, high-quality care to Long COVID patients.

Finally, it is absolutely necessary for Congress to provide additional funding to fully realize President Biden's National Preparedness Plan, secure additional booster doses to protect against future variants, and minimize the pandemic's impact on our nation and economy.

Inaction will only leave us less prepared and cost us more lives. I am committed to seeing Congress fully fund our continued response to the pandemic.

American Rescue Plan

Last year, President Joe Biden signed into law the American Rescue Plan, our $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package to energize our economy and deliver direct relief to working families.

One year later, the American Rescue Plan is still delivering significant relief to aid our recovery and address our most pressing issues.

As we continue our recovery from the pandemic, President Biden recently announced that he would continue to pause federal student loan repayments through the end of August.

Thanks to the American Rescue Plan, Affordable Care Act (ACA) premiums are at an all-time low, while enrollment is at an all-time high.

Yesterday, President Biden signed an Executive Order to build on this progress by expanding quality, affordable coverage to millions of Americans.

We have also seen incredible economic progress since we passed the American Rescue Plan last year.

We recently learned that in March the economy added 431,000 jobs. We also learned that amid the Omicron wave our economy added over 1.2 million jobs in January and February.

The unemployment rate has now dropped to 3.6%. There have been only three months in the last 50 years where the unemployment rate in America was lower than it is now.

Last year, our economy achieved its fastest job growth in American history, our fastest economic growth in nearly 40 years, and a faster recovery than every other advanced economy in the G7.

Ensuring the safety of all families from COVID-19 is my top priority. My office has prepared an informational webpage to ensure workers, families, businesses, and health care providers know their options for relief. For the latest on the coronavirus in New Jersey, check the state’s website at covid19.nj.gov.

You can reach me and my staff in Washington at 202-225-5751 or New Jersey at 973-523-5152 for assistance or further guidance. Remember, my door is always open to you. We are all in this together.

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