Today’s coronavirus developments reported by NJSPOTLIGHT     New Jersey officials reported an additional 516 confirmed cases of COVID-19 today, for a statewide cumulative total of 168,496. * It was the first day in a week that the daily number was back over 500. By counties, the new positive results were led by Mercer (58), Monmouth (45), Essex (45), Passaic (40) and Atlantic (37). At the other end of the new-case count, single-digit increases were reported in six counties: Salem, Cumberland, Sussex, Warren, Cape May and Hunterdon. * An additional 37 COVID-related deaths were reported today, raising the New Jersey total to 12,835. Six counties are reporting more than 1,000 COVID-19 deaths: Essex (1,758), Bergen (1,691), Hudson (1,261), Union (1,131), Middlesex (1,097) and Passaic (1,013). * There were no new reported deaths today in the three counties with fewer than 100 fatalities: Hunterdon (67), Salem (64) and Cape May (62). * More than 450,000 have died globally, led by the United States (118,758), Brazil (47,748), the United Kingdom (42,546), Italy (34,561) and France (29,606), according to Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center. * The number of COVID-19 patients in New Jersey hospitals dropped below 1,200 overnight, one of a number of positive milestones for hospitalization data. According reports by all 71 hospitals in the state, 1,177 patients were being treated for confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 yesterday. 286 were in critical or intensive care, a new low since the peak in mid-April when more than 2,000 people were severely ill.231, or roughly 81%, of those needing special care were on ventilators yesterday. Decreases were seen in all three regions of the state, with 493 patients in northern hospitals, 385 in central Jersey and 299 in the south. Statewide, 61 new patients with suspected COVID-19 entered New Jersey hospitals yesterday: 31 in the north, 20 in central Jersey and 10 in the south.108 COVID-19 patients were discharged, either to their homes or other care facilities. Not receiving our free EP Blog updates? * Nearly 1.2 million tests for active COVID-19 infection have been conducted in New Jersey, including negatives. The daily, or spot, positivity rate of tests on June 15 fell nearly half a point to 2.47% statewide — 1.8% in the north, 2.07% in central Jersey and 4.69% in the south. The rate of reproduction of the virus — or “Rt,” which gauges how many people are infected by each person with the virus — dipped slightly, to 0.70, on June 17. A rate that remains under 1.0 — as NJ’s has since the beginning of May — is an “indicator that the virus is ultimately going to die” out, Gov. Phil Murphy has said.  For a second day, NJ Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli reported no new cases of a rare and serious pediatric inflammatory ailment that experts say stems from an overreaction of the immune system to COVID-19. The total number remains at 43, with no deaths. All have tested positive either for an active infection with the coronavirus or antibodies showing they were previously infected. Nursing homes and other long-term care centers in New Jersey are reporting 6,377 deaths among residents during the pandemic, the vast majority of them laboratory confirmed cases of COVID-19. They are also reporting the deaths of 116 staffers. 555 LTCs in New Jersey have reported coronavirus outbreaks. 35,600 positive test results have been reported among residents and staffers. Read the full story