TRENTON, N.J. — The highly transmissible delta variant is now the dominant strain in New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy said Monday.
The state recently completed a new report on COVID-19 variants, and delta represents about 41% of all the variants circulating in New Jersey, Assistant Commissioner of the Division of Epidemiology Dr. Tina Tan added.
Tan also pointed out that viral variants in general fluctuate over time and that the original strain from the early days of the pandemic is now virtually undetectable.
Murphy, meanwhile, urged New Jersey residents to get vaccinated against COVID if they haven’t already done so.
“Our COVID numbers continue to be driven by the unvaccinated. The vaccines are widely available and free,” the governor said. “We urge you to get vaccinated to protect yourself, your family, and your community.”
Health experts, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, have expressed concerns about the delta variant’s dangerous and potentially deadly impact on areas of the United States with low vaccination rates.
“So I’m concerned as [the delta] variant becomes more dominant. Those areas, those select areas of the country that have a very low level of vaccination, like 30% or so, you’re going to start seeing many surges that are localized to certain regions. And as I said, you don’t want to see two separate Americas, one that’s vaccinated and protected, and yet another that’s un-vaccinated and very much at risk,” Fauci said Friday on “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer.”
This story comprises reporting from The Associated Press.
