By NewsDesk  @infectiousdiseasenews

New Jersey state health officials reported an additional 3,026 new confirmed COVID-19 test results today, bringing the state total to 81,420.

Bergen, Hudson, Essex and Union counties have reported the most cases with 12,163, 9,956, 9,901 and 8,959 cases, respectively.

Governor Phil Murphy said in a press briefing today that that the death toll has risen to 4070. Murphy said, “In just six weeks, we have lost 4,070 blessed New Jerseyans to COVID-19. That’s more than the CDC statistics show that we have lost over the past three flu seasons in their entirety combined.

“We know that the COVID-19 is more virulent than the flu and one person with COVID-19 can infect many, many more without showing any symptoms. And once someone is exposed, it can take a long time, as much as I believe 14 days to develop this illness.

“The hospitalization rate for COVID-19, as we’ve shown you, is far greater than what it is for the flu. The general hospitalization rate for the flu is about one-tenth of 1% of cases. Already look at the numbers we present here for COVID-19. It’s roughly 10%, I believe. You are therefore 100 more times likely to end up in the hospital, again, based on what we now know.”