By Brent Johnson and Len Melisurgo | NJ.com
New Jersey on Saturday reported another 3,026 positive coronavirus tests and 231 new deaths related to COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to at least 81,420 confirmed cases and 4,070 fatalities — though officials said the outlook continues to be more hopeful.
Gov. Phil Murphy said despite the big increase, the rate of both infections and hospitalizations are becoming more stable.
“We are flattening the curve,” Murphy said during his daily coronavirus press briefing in Trenton. “We are now reporting more people leaving the hospital than entering. Please, God, let it stay that way. … The progress is undeniable.”
Still, Murphy said he’s not ready to lift lockdown restrictions in the state and called on all New Jerseyans to continue staying home and maintaining social distancing when outside.
“Here’s the problem: The short connection between an abrupt change in human behavior and all those charts, data and progress is shocking,” he said. “If we let our guard down right now, we would literally see it tomorrow.”
“We are not out of the woods,” Murphy added. “We have not yet plateaued.”
And despite the release of daily statistics, it’s difficult to get a complete picture of exactly how many people in New Jersey currently have COVID-19 because the state is testing only residents who are showing symptoms and test results have been backed up for up days. The state also is not reporting significant increases in daily testing, so it is unclear exactly how quickly the virus is spreading.
But Murphy stressed that the state knows “for sure” that the death and hospitalization curves are flattening, and he stressed the state is working to increase testing.
Coronavirus cases as of Saturday, April 18
| LOCATION | CASES | DEATHS |
|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | 81,420 | 4,070 |
| New York State | 236,732 | 14,832 |
| New York City | 127,000 | 13,202 |
| Pennsylvania | 31,069 | 836 |
| Philadelphia | 8,563 | 298 |
| United States | 706,856 | 37,309 |
| Worldwide | 2,274,800 | 156,140 |
Note: Data includes positive cases of COVID-19 reported by the CDC, state health officials and other health agencies since Jan. 21. New York State totals include New York City. Pennsylvania totals include Philadelphia. Updated: April 18 at 1:10 p.m. Table: Len Melisurgo | NJ Advance Media Source: Johns Hopkins Univ., nymag.com, Philadelphia Health Dept., State Health Departments in NJ, NY, PAGet the data Created with Datawrapper
Murphy also got heated over a Facebook post from Atlantic County Surrogate James Curcio, who called on officials to immediately “reopen” New Jersey without restrictions.
“That is irresponsible,” the governor said. “(If) we quote-unquote untie the system right now, there will be blood on our hands,” the governor said near the end of Saturday’s briefing. “And I want to make sure folks understand that. This is literally life and death. And what we need now is responsible leadership. We do not need irresponsible leadership.”
Murphy noted Atlantic County has already had 19 confirmed coronavirus deaths as of this weekend.
New Jersey, which has 9 million residents, continues to be one of the nation’s coronavirus hot spots. Only neighboring New York has more cases and deaths among U.S. states.
“It’s a number that takes your breath away,” Murphy said of the total deaths in New Jersey.
As of 10 p.m. Friday, the state had 7,718 coronavirus patients hospitalized, with 2,024 in critical care, 1,641 on ventilators and 90 patients at field medical stations.
Murphy said 814 coronavirus patients were discharged from New Jersey hospitals between 10 p.m. Thursday and 10 p.m. Friday.
State Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said Friday she believes North Jersey has already seen the peak of hospitalizations from COVID-19. Still, she noted Central and South Jersey are still awaiting their peaks.
There have now been 9,692 coronavirus patients discharged from New Jersey hospitals, Persichilli said.
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