TOPLINE
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy warned Friday that the state is in a “very dangerous place” after the rate of Covid-19 transmission sharply rose to 1.35—the highest rate of transmission since April—as New Jersey and other Northeastern states that were previously shielded from the U.S.’s recent coronavirus surge see new spikes in their Covid-19 case counts.
Seaside Heights Beach Boardwalk in New Jersey on July 18, 2020. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu ... [+]
KEY FACTS
Murphy said at a briefing Friday that “alarms are going off” regarding the new transmission rate, which NJ.com notes is the highest it’s been since April 7, and said the state “anticipate[s] it will go higher in the days ahead.”
While one of the hardest-hit states at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, New Jersey has consistently seen transmission rates below one in past weeks, and was hailed July 20 as the only state in the U.S. where cases had declined for two or more weeks in a row.
The state has recently been home to a number of large gatherings that violate social distancing rules, including a 700-person party in Jackson Township, which Murphy attributed to driving the new increase in cases.
New Jersey has relaxed many of its previous lockdown rules—though things like indoor dining, gyms and movie theaters remain closed—but Murphy warned he was putting the state “on notice” and could announce new restrictions on indoor activities if cases continue to climb.
Other Northeastern states, including Connecticut, New York and Massachusetts, have also seen spikes in cases among young people attributed to non-socially distanced gatherings.
Crucial Quote
“We are not past this. Everyone who walks around not wearing a mask, or hosts an indoor house party, or overstuffs a boat, is directly contributing to these increases,” Murphy said Friday. “This has to stop, and it has to stop now.”
Big Number
699: The number of new Covid-19 cases in New Jersey reported by the state government Friday, marking a noticeable increase over past daily case counts—though Murphy noted New Jersey is still in the top 10 U.S. states for lowest number of cases per capita.
Key Background
New Jersey and other Northeastern states were among the most severely impacted at the start of the coronavirus pandemic, but imposed stringent lockdown measures that largely drove down transmission and have not experienced the recent surge in cases seen in states like Florida, Texas and California. The new uptick in New Jersey’s cases reflects a broader trend around the world, as other areas like the European Union that tamped down initial outbreaks have more recently experienced worrying rises in their case counts, prompting new or continued lockdown restrictions.
Further Reading
N.J. coronavirus transmission rate is highest in 3 months. ‘Alarms are going off,’ Murphy warns. (NJ.com)
How 20 Lifeguards Got Coronavirus: Experts Say Gatherings Among Family, Friends Spread The Virus (Forbes)
