As the number of cases in New Jersey keeps rising, hospitals in the northern half of the state are already starting to see an expected “surge” in patients with the coronavirus, the state’s top health official said Wednesday.

State Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said the state had been preparing for the surge — an influx of patients that tests hospital capacity — by the second week in April.

But seven hospitals in the northern section of New Jersey notified the state they reached “divert” status Tuesday, Persichilli said. That means either the whole hospital or a unit can’t accept new patients temporarily, and those patients are being diverted to other hospitals.

“It looks like the surge is beginning in the northern part of the state,” Persichilli said at the Trenton War Memorial during the state’s daily coronavirus press briefing. “We’re beginning to feel the real stress and strain on the critical care.”

Persichilli said some hospitals went on divert status due to overcrowding in their emergency rooms and some due to general overcrowding. She said the state is "looking at possible alternative care sites.”

Persichilli did not list the names of the hospitals, but the state’s website shows eight hospitals with either full or partial “divert” status as of Wednesday at 3 p.m.:

Englewood Hospital And Medical Center (partial, psychiatric beds)

Hoboken University Medical Center

Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital at Rahway (full)

CentraState Medical Center in Freehold

Trinitas Regional Medical Center in Elizabeth (critical care)

St. Mary’s Hospital in Passaic (full)

Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset (critical care)

Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck

Technically, Freehold and Somerset are in the central part of the state.

Two of the seven hospitals that reported “divert” status requested additional ventilators, and the state was able to supply them, Persichilli said.

The health commissioner continued to express confidence New Jersey will be able to handle the surge, though she stressed the state needs more ventilators, which are required for the most seriously ill coronavirus patients.

Persichilli said hospitals are repurposing anesthesia machines, which has helped.

“On a statewide basis, we are not feeling the same capacity issues in the central to south part of the state,” she said.

“We believe the beds will be there,” Persichilli added. “We want to make sure the supplies and the ventilators will be there. We don’t believe we’re going to run out of IV pumps and everything else you would need to take care of a critical care patient. The guidelines are focused specifically on ventilators."

So far, the state has received 650 of the 2,300 ventilators it has asked President Donald Trump’s administration to provide.

Gov. Phil Murphy announced Wednesday that Trump’s administration sent 350 more ventilators to the state. But 1,650 more are still needed, he said.

“We believe we are going to be okay," Persichilli said. “But we do believe we are going to be moving ventilators around.”

Murphy echoed the cautious optimism during a radio interview Wednesday afternoon.

“So far, we’re staying ahead of this,” he said on 1010 WINS. “But it is growing by the day.”

New Jersey — a state of 9 million people — now has at least 22,255 cases of COVID-19, including 335 deaths, officials announced Wednesday. Only New York has more cases among U.S. states.

Persichilli said Wednesday that 80 percent of people that test positive have mild to moderate symptoms and can stay home, while 15 percent may need to be admitted to the hospital. And 50 percent of those may need ventilators, though that could go up, she said.

Persichilli said hospitals are reporting to the state the number of ventilators are in use. She said officials are planning a ventilator for every patient.

The federal government is constructing four pop-up field hospitals across New Jersey to help increase hospital space. The first one — at the Meadowlands in Secaucus — is likely to open sometime next week, Persichilli said.

She said the site will be available for “lower-acuity patients who can be safely transferred” there. That would create more space at existing hospitals for coronavirus patients.

Officials say they expect the number of coronavirus cases in the state to keep increasing. Murphy has said the pandemic is likely to “bleed meaningfully into May,” at least.

The governor has put the state in near-lockdown to help halt the spread of the virus and protect hospital capacity, ordering residents to stay at home, banning social gatherings, and mandating non-essential businesses close.

Persichilli said Wednesday that the “increased demand” on hospitals "just underscores how important social distancing measures are."

“When you stay home, you are all helping us slow the spread of this virus and you are doing your part to help save lives,” the health commissioner said.

NJ Advance Media staff writers Matt Arco and Susan K. Livio contributed to this report.

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Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01.

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