N.J. coronavirus peak now 11 days away with 16K hospitalizations expected, health officials say

With New Jersey cases and deaths still rising, though at a slower rate, health officials now predict the state’s peak in hospitalizations with the coronavirus will hit 15,922 patients on April 25 — 11 days from now.

State Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli cautioned that the three models the state is using to prepare for the surge in patients change daily with new data and as the state pushes into the fourth week of a stay-at-home orderthat significantly increased social distancing on March 21.

Of the 15,922 people projected to be hospitalized at the new peak, 3,821 are expected to be in crit…