The COVID-19 pandemic has saturated Passaic County like no other county in New Jersey, officials said one year after the area's first cases were identified.
In the 360 days after the pandemic hit on March 14, 2020, the northern county’s per-capita rates of COVID-19 contraction and related deaths were the state’s highest. The positivity rate of more than 9% also ranked near the top in New Jersey.
Countywide, the disease burden remains high, said Charlene Gungil, the county’s health officer. The second of the pandemic's two distinct waves to hit Passaic County has been more pervasive, records show. It has nonetheless been less severe and appears to be waning, she said during a March 9 presentation to county officials.