STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Borough residents who travel across one of the borough’s three bridges to the Garden State should remain vigilant, as New Jersey begins to prepare for a second wave following a significant increase in positive cases and hospitalizations.
On Wednesday, New Jersey reported 1,682 new COVID-19 cases and 14 additional deaths, marking the 11th straight day with more than 1,000 positive test results, NJ.com reported.
The Garden State currently has the most hospitalized patients -- 1,010 admitted patients – since July 2.
Dr. Shereef Elnahal, University Hospital’s president and CEO, told NJ.com he believes it’s the second wave.
Elnahal said the “sharp increase” in positive test results, which is as high as 6% at some of the hospital’s clinics, is “most worrisome.”
Although University Hospital doesn’t have a high number of COVID-19 inpatient cases, he’s worried.
“We are trying our best to be able to continue normal operations as much as possible without having to close down other medical services as we had to before,” Elnahal told NJ.com, whose hospital in Newark was among the hardest hit in the state during the pandemic.
‘IT’S CONCERNING’ SAYS RUMC DOC
Dr. Phillip Otterbeck, chairman of the department of medicine at Richmond University Medical Center (RUMC), said the rise in New Jersey cases is concerning for Staten Island.
Otterbeck said he’s not ready to say Staten Island is in the midst of a second wave – the borough’s cases flux day-to-day and there is great variation in the number of new cases, hospitalizations and deaths.
The idea of a wave, he said, is a poorly defined idea.
“It really has to be increasing in a sustained way for it to be a second wave,” Otterbeck told the Advance/SILive.com
The borough’s proximity to New Jersey coupled with the number of residents that travel back and forth for work or other activities on a daily basis is concerning.
“Mobility of folks, particularly from areas where there’s a high concentration of COVID can potentially increase exposure to people in areas where there is currently less of the virus,” Otterbeck said.
Staten Island’s hospitalizations remain low – 25 patients are being cared for a Staten Island University Hospital (SIUH) and seven at RUMC.
Positive cases have fluxuated in recent weeks -- Thirty-three people tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday while pervious weeks have seen as high as 100 or more in a single day and as little as 20.
“We’re delighted to see hospitalizations and deaths remain low, however, what you have to remember is that test positivity is generally seen as a leading indicator for hospitalizations and ultimately deaths,” he said.
STATEN ISLAND NEEDS TO BE VIGILANT
“In the workplace, there can be people from all over – New Jersey, Long Island, Connecticut -- and all these different areas all have different rates of infection. It’s important to remember that just because the people at work are not symptomatic does not mean that there is no incubation people. People can be infected prior to showing symptoms,” Otterbeck said.
The workplace isn’t the only time we should practice social distancing and mask wearing.
Thanksgiving and Christmas are times when families often gather in large numbers, which could result in community spread – especially with out-of-state family members.
“I think a gathering needs to be limited in scope and in nature. As far as relatives from out of state, I would advise against those kinds of encounters unless they can be done in a way that is safe,” he said.
He suggested outdoor dining, if possible, social distancing, mask wearing and asking family members to get a COVID-19 test.
“The fortunate part is luckily we do have technology that does help us keep those family ties. Social isolation at this time of the year has been a big problem particularly for the elderly and others who have pre-existing health concerns and have been really cautious about seeing other people and going out. These tech advances can be really useful to keep families connected,” he said.
“It might not be the same as last year but we have to keep ourselves safe at least for the next few months while we await a vaccine.”
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