New Jersey on Thursday reported eight more deaths attributed to the coronavirus and 699 new cases, the highest one-day total in cases so far this month and only the second time since June 6 that the state reported more than 600 new cases.
The Garden State’s death toll from COVID-19 now stands at 15,892 fatalities — 14,053 confirmed and 1,839 considered probable — in more than five months since the first case was reported March 4.
The state has announced 186,594 positive tests since the outbreak began out of more than 2.4 million tests administered in the state so far.
Gov. Phil Murphy, who announced the latest figures on Twitter, said the new deaths include three on Aug. 10, one each on Aug. 6, 7, and 9 and two fatalities from May and July that were only recently confirmed.
The state reported its latest transmission rate is 0.92, holding steady from the same number reported Wednesday. The number has remained below the critical mark of 1 this week after officials announced Aug. 2 the number had spiked to a four-month high of 1.49.
Any number above 1 means each newly infected person is spreading the virus to at least one other person, on average. Anything below 1 means the outbreak is shrinking. The rate had been below 1 for weeks during the strictest parts of New Jersey’s coronavirus lockdowns but had fluctuated above and below 1 in July as the state took more reopening steps.
Thursday marks the 34th straight day New Jersey — an early coronavirus hotspot — has reported fewer than 50 new deaths and the 12th straight day it has reported fewer than 15.
State Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli noted Wednesday the state has seen “a slight uptick” in recent days, with 484 new cases Wednesday and 498 new cases Tuesday.
“We are not reporting any significant outbreaks in this regard but are watching increases in counties with over 25 new cases,” Persichilli added.
Still, the state’s daily numbers are well below their peaks in April, when it was routine for the state to announce hundreds of new fatalities and thousands of new positive tests a day.
HOSPITALIZATIONS
There were 545 patients being treated for confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases across New Jersey’s 71 hospitals as of Wednesday night. That’s 47 fewer patients than the night before.
Of those, 103 were in critical or intensive care (8 fewer than the night before) and 28 were on ventilators (7 fewer than the night before).
There were 63 coronavirus patients discharged from the state’s hospitals Tuesday, according to the state’s tracking website.
New Jersey’s hospitalizations have declined steadily over the last few months after peaking at more than 8,000 in mid-April.
COUNTY-BY-COUNTY NUMBERS
- Atlantic County: 3,521 cases (14 new), 237 confirmed deaths (15 probable)
- Bergen County: 20,940 cases (45 new), 1,787 confirmed deaths (248 probable)
- Burlington County: 6,094 cases (28 new), 435 confirmed deaths (39 probable)
- Camden County: 8,689 cases (48 new), 525 confirmed deaths (55 probable)
- Cape May County: 843 cases (2 new), 82 confirmed deaths (6 probable)
- Cumberland County: 3,386 cases (9 new), 146 confirmed deaths (12 probable)
- Essex County: 19,840 cases (35 new), 1,876 confirmed deaths (234 probable)
- Gloucester County: 3,339 cases (30 new), 207 confirmed deaths (7 probable)
- Hudson County: 19,792 cases (44 new), 1,341 confirmed deaths (167 probable)
- Hunterdon County: 1,151 cases (1 new), 70 confirmed deaths (54 probable)
- Mercer County: 8,164 cases (25 new), 583 confirmed deaths (39 probable)
- Middlesex County: 18,015 cases (29 new), 1,206 confirmed deaths (205 probable)
- Monmouth County: 10,407 cases (44 new), 759 confirmed deaths (97 probable)
- Morris County: 7,304 cases (16 new), 682 confirmed deaths (147 probable)
- Ocean County: 10,668 cases (19 new), 953 confirmed deaths (67 probable)
- Passaic County: 17,801 cases (51 new), 1,095 confirmed deaths (147 probable)
- Salem County: 912 cases (4 new), 81 confirmed deaths (6 probable)
- Somerset County: 5,282 cases (8 new), 489 confirmed deaths (75 probable)
- Sussex County: 1,343 cases (2 new), 161 confirmed deaths (37 probable)
- Union County: 16,812 cases (34 new), 1,181 confirmed deaths (168 probable)
- Warren County: 1,352 cases (5 new), 158 confirmed deaths (14 probable)
THE LATEST ON SCHOOLS AND BUSINESSES REOPENING
The new numbers come a day after Murphy announced New Jersey schools that meet certain criteria will be allowed to start the academic year with no in-person classes because of the pandemic. Previously, all districts were required to offer at least some in-person classes.
The governor stressed that the goal is for as many districts to reopen with in-person learning as possible.
Meanwhile, New Jersey remains in Stage 2 of its plan to gradually lift coronavirus restrictions that Murphy ordered in March to fight the spread of COVID-19. Gyms, movie theaters and indoor dining sections of bars and restaurants remain closed until further notice.
That’s even though the state’s economy continues to suffer during the pandemic. Nearly 1.5 million workers in the state have filed for unemployment benefits since mid-March, though claims reached a five-month low last week.
The state is also calling on travelers from 33 states and territories — including residents returning home — to self-quarantine for 14 days after arriving in New Jersey.
CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Newsletter | Homepage
New Jersey, a densely populated state of 9 million residents, ranks second among U.S. states in total COVID-19 deaths and eighth in total cases.
About half of the state’s deaths — at least 7,006 — have been of residents or staff members at the state’s nursing homes and longterm care centers.
The total number of coronavirus cases in the state is cumulative and does not reflect the thousands of residents who have recovered. More than 33,200 New Jersey residents have recovered from the virus, according to Johns Hopkins University.
As of Thursday afternoon, there have been more than 20.7 million positive tests for COVID-19 across the globe, according to a running tally by Johns Hopkins University. Of those, more than 751,000 have died, while more than 12.86 million have recovered.
There have been more than 166,400 deaths in the United States, by far the most in the world.
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Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com.