Reported COVID-19 deaths in New Jersey topped 10,000 for the first time Friday, with state officials announcing another 201. Total laboratory-confirmed deaths from COVID-19 now stand at 10,138, according to state data. By NJ Spotlight| New Jersey officials reported an additional 1,297 confirmed cases of COVID-19 Friday, for a statewide total of 143,905. Hudson County this week has overtaken Bergen, the original hotspot in the state, with the most confirmed cases, 17,237 to 17,195. The biggest jump reported Friday was in Passaic County, with 130 new cases, for a total of 14,887. Essex has had the most fatalities, with 1,510, following by Bergen with 1,443 and Hudson with 1,042. For a second day, fewer than 4,000 patients were being treated at New Jersey’s hospitals for confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 as of Thursday night, with 3,823 hospitalizations reported by all 71 medical centers in the state.1,127 were in critical or intensive care.856 required ventilators. 285 of those hospitalized yesterday were new patients, a jump of more than 100 from the day before.357 COVID-19 patients were discharged, either to their homes or other care facilities. The daily, or spot, positivity rate of all COVID-19 tests on May 10 was 23%. Overall, the state is reporting results on nearly 463,000 tests — for the most part conducted on symptomatic people —more than 300,000 of them negative. Officials reported that the increase in the cumulative number of cases among residents of nursing homes and other long-term care centers in the state is flattening. A total of 27,374 cases have been reported at 527 facilities, an increase of roughly 200.5,269 have died, including 140 at the state’s three veterans homes.   State and federal response Gov. Phil Murphy said today he would sign an executive order allowing for the resumption of “elective” surgeries and other invasive procedures at the state’s hospitals and some surgery centers, starting on May 26. Patients must be tested for COVID-19 three days before the procedure takes place. Patients will be required to undergo a three-day quarantine before and after the procedure. Health facilities must have a plan to keep patients safe from COVID-19, and have adequate staffing and supplies of personal protective equipment to keep health-care workers safe. Positive patients with symptoms consistent with COVID-19 should not get elective procedures.   Murphy is also signing an executive order making the state’s primary election, already rescheduled to July 7, to be primarily a vote-by-mail election. All registered Democrats and Republicans will automatically receive a postage-paid vote-by-mail ballot. All unaffiliated and inactive voters will automatically receive an application to vote by mail. At least one polling place must be open in each municipality for in-person voting; social distancing will be enforced and booths will be sanitized between each use. Counties will also be required to establish secure drop boxes as an alternative to the mail for voters to return their completed ballots. The deadline for ballots to be received by the county boards of elections will be extended from to seven days after polls close, up from two. All ballots must be postmarked by the day of the election.   President Trump announced Friday an allocation of $1.4 billion to NJ Transit under the CARES Act, offering financial relief from the COVID-19 crisis.   The Murphy administration is committing $50 million in federal CARES Act funds for small businesses affected by COVID-19 – primarily for grants awarded through the state Economic Development Agency.

EnviroPolitics Blog is working to keep you informed about all aspects of the coronavirus — the status of confirmed cases, disease spread, death toll–and also how Americans are coping. Like this story, for instance. If you like what we are doing, Click to receive free EP Blog updates and please tell your friends.