New Jersey Virus Deaths Top 10,000, Days Before Reopening

(Bloomberg) -- New Jersey deaths from the new coronavirus have topped 10,000, days before the state takes steps toward reopening.

The toll belies improvements in hospitalization and other data that have led Governor Phil Murphy to take some steps toward restarting the state’s economy. Total hospitalizations are about half of the peak, while patients on ventilators and in intensive care also have dropped.

The death toll increased by 201 to reach 10,138, a 2% increase over 24 hours. New cases from Covid-19 rose 1% to 143,905. That’s the second-worst outbreak after New York but the pace of new cases is far below what it was in the first two weeks of April, when the daily increase was 4% to 19%.

Businesses and residents have been under a Murphy-ordered lockdown since March 21.

The governor said this week that non-essential construction can resume and retail-order pickups can start May 18, and that beaches can open with social distancing restrictions for the Memorial Day weekend.

“Golly, why can’t you open things up and flip the switch?” said the governor, invoking an argument used by those opposed to the state’s continued closings. That’s because New Jersey hospitals discharged 357 virus patients over the past 24 hours, but admitted 285 people who tested positive, he said.

Starting May 26, New Jersey will allow elective surgeries, which had been halted in March as the outbreak first took hold.

The governor also announced that the state’s July 7 primary election will mostly be held by mail, though some voters will be able to go to the polls with social distancing in place.

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