N.J. coronavirus death toll increases to 12,214 with 164,497 total cases. Stage 2 of reopening 1 week away.
Stage 2 #Stage2
The coronavirus death toll in New Jersey increased to 12,214 on Monday as officials announced the total number of cases now stands at 164,497 with the state one week away from Stage 2 of the reopening plan.
The latest update on the outbreak includes 40 new deaths and 356 new cases — the 10th consecutive day with fewer than 1,000 new cases.
Gov. Phil Murphy said the downward trend in new cases and deaths continues, clearing the way for more reopening of businesses. Public and private pools may reopen starting June 22, Murphy announced Monday, though though specifics on restrictions will not be released until Tuesday.
The trends for new coronavirus deaths, cases, and hospitalizations have declined since peaking in April. Murphy has gradually peeled back his restrictions, with the state set to start Stage 2 of its multiphase reopening June 15, when restaurants will be allowed to offer outdoor dining and nonessential retail will be permitted to welcome customers back inside, though at half capacity.
“The spread of COVID-19 continues to slow,” Murphy said at his daily coronavirus briefing in Trenton. “Let’s make sure these numbers stay moving in the right direction.”
In recent days, Murphy has also touted that the rate of coronavirus retransmission in New Jersey remains below 1 — meaning every infected person spreads it to fewer than one other person.
“The rate remains below one — at .70 — which means that each new case is leading to fewer than one other new case,” Murphy said. More than 975,000 coronavirus tests have been administered in New Jersey since the outbreak began.
New Jersey’s 71 hospitals reported a peak in patients with confirmed or suspected coronavirus cases on April 14 when more than 8,000 people were being treated. Hospitalizations have declined to 1,740 as of Sunday night, though the state’s dashboard lacks data for one hospital.
The county-by-county number of cases and deaths includes:
Another 744 cases are under investigation to determine where the person resides.
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The total number of coronavirus cases in New Jersey is cumulative and does not reflect the likely thousands of residents who have recovered. There may also be infected residents who have yet to be tested, though the state has more than doubled the daily tests being administered in recent weeks.
As of Monday, more than 7 million people have tested positive for COVID-19 across the globe, according to a running tally by Johns Hopkins University. Of those, more than 409,000 have died and more than 3.1 million have recovered.
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Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here.