N.J. Virus Curve Flattens More; Murphy Says Not Ready to Reopen
N.J. Virus Curve Flattens More; Murphy Says Not Ready to Reopen
(Bloomberg) --
New Jersey hospitalizations for coronavirus “keeping moving in the right direction,” Governor Phil Murphy said, as the number of new cases continues to flatten.
The state posted an additional 3,457 new positive results, for a total of 105,523. Cases have risen by less than 10% for 19 straight days; in mid-March, the daily increase was 20% to 82%. Ventilator use continued to trend down, with 1,442 in use as of April 24.
New Jersey, which trails only New York in terms of the U.S. states hardest-hit by Covid-19, has now lost a “staggering” 5,863 residents, Murphy said, more than those lost in World War I, the Korean War and the Vietnam War combined. He urged residents to adhere to stay-at-home orders, saying it’s working to slow the spread.
“We cannot let a beautiful spring day like this allow us to slip in any way,” Murphy said Saturday at a press briefing. “The 5,863 deaths must be our inspiration so we do not lose another 5,863.”
Murphy said he is not ready to lift his ban on using state and county parks. New Jersey’s second most populous municipality, Jersey City, said today it’s reopening its five major parks. Residents had urged Mayor Steve Fulop to give them a place to exercise and get air. Murphy had left decisions about local parks to the localities.
The state is seeing daily increases and decreases in new hospitalizations, but the “overall trend line” is positive, Murphy said. While hospitals are reporting declines in the north and flattening in the central region, they are seeing a “slight” increase in the south, Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said at the briefing.
Though New Jersey has flattened the curve with social distancing, the move spread it out over a longer term so it can be managed, Persichilli said. “That’s exactly what we wanted to do.”
Murphy said the state is “continually pushing” to expand its testing capabilities. It has 95 testing sites and has performed 191,813 tests. Ten days ago, it had 66 testing sites and 131,967 tests.
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