New Jersey Counts Almost 2,000 More ‘Probable’ Coronavirus Deaths

(Bloomberg) -- New Jersey counted almost 2,000 more deaths with a “probable” link to the novel coronavirus, increasing the state’s death toll by 15% to more than 15,000.

The number of strongly suspected but unconfirmed Covid-19 deaths is expected to increase as officials continue their reviews, said Ed Lifshitz, a medical director of the state health department. The newly counted dead are those whose negative test results were considered unreliable; who were linked to known outbreaks and showed symptoms; or whose death certificates strongly suggested a coronavirus link.

Governor Phil Murphy has warned of increased cases as the state has begun to reopen, but said spikes can be prevented with testing and contact tracing. In recent days, the state has reported a rise in the virus’s transmission rate, a measure of how many people are infected by each individual with the virus. That rate is now 0.88, a 0.02 increase from a day earlier, and has risen in 16 of 21 counties. Less than two weeks ago, the rate was 0.64.

In March, as the virus began its sweep, one infected person was spreading the virus to at least five others, according to the heath department. On March 21, Murphy ordered nonessential businesses closed -- a step that he has said saved lives but also led 28% of the state workforce to file for jobless benefits.

Murphy since has allowed many operations to resume, with indoor capacity caps and other restrictions in place, but has warned that he will enact shutdowns again if cases rapidly rise. The state on Wednesday joined with Connecticut and New York to advise self-quarantining of visitors from states, including Texas and Florida, where the virus has spiked.

“We run the risk of this thing coming back at us,” said Thursday at a Trenton news conference.

The state is working on guidelines for the July 6 reopening of indoor dining and Atlantic City casinos, whose operations Murphy called the toughest to navigate safely because patrons are indoors and sedentary, and more exposed to contagious respiratory droplets.

The state reported 26 new confirmed deaths, for a total of 13,018, and 1,854 dead believed to have had the virus. It reported 406 new cases, for a total of 170,196.

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