COVID In New Jersey: Gov. Phil Murphy Sets Aside $267 Million For Testing At Schools
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- There is a new recommendation from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about the upcoming Labor Day Weekend.
People who are not vaccinated should not travel because of surging COVID-19 cases. There are also concerns about students spreading the virus as they head back to school.
COVID-19 cases in New Jersey aren't increasing as fast as they have been in the past couple of weeks, meaning they could be leveling off, but officials don't think that will last.
"I hope you all enjoy the long Labor Day Weekend. Please be safe," Gov. Phil Murphy said.
With concerns the Labor Day Weekend could further spread COVID-19, the CDC is asking unvaccinated people to not travel and those who have received their shots are being advised to take precautions.
Officials aren't just worried about holiday travel.
"In the next several weeks with people going back to school, it would not surprise me toward the middle, end of this month we began to see an increase again," Ed Lifschitz with the New Jersey Health Department said.
There are school mask mandates in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware, but there's been opposition, and nationwide some states don't require face coverings.
In the past week, more than 200,000 kids have tested positive for COVID-19, five times the number from the month before.
"When you have large groups of children, they will transmit things back and forth," pediatrician Dr. Eric Yancy said.
In an effort to contain school outbreaks, Murphy announced $267 million would be available for testing students.
"We want everyone to be as safe as possible in their schools and classrooms," the governor said.
And already testing facilities say there's been a surge of samples.
"Typically in a week, we would see 150 doctors' orders. Last week, we saw 496," Aria Diagnostics President Vipin Adhlakha said.
On the vaccine front, Murphy outlined the difference between a booster vs. a third shot.
"A third shot is not a booster," Murphy said. "It is a necessary additional dose of vaccine for individuals living with an immune system deficiency."
Technically, only people who need third shots are supposed to be getting them now. The CDC has not issued guidance yet on when boosters for everyone else who's been vaccinated should be administered.
The CDC Advisory Panel says there's not enough clear evidence to recomend a booster for everyone, so there's not a final decision on that. The current recomendation is that a third shot is given only to people at high risk.
