By Brent Johnson | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
New Jersey has reported 12,443 known deaths attributed to the coronavirus, with 165,816 known cases, in the 100 days since the first case in the state was announced, though the state is now four days away from its second stage of reopening from nearly three months of lockdown.
Gov. Phil Murphy on Thursday announced 70 new deaths related to COVID-19 and 539 new positive tests in the state of 9 million residents.
But officials say New Jersey’s overall trends — including daily new deaths, cases, and hospitalizations — have fallen significantly since the peak in April. Wednesday marked the 13th consecutive day the state announced fewer than 1,000 new cases and the eighth straight day it reported fewer than 2,000 coronavirus hospitalizations.
“For 100 days, we have asked you to take extraordinary steps,” Murphy said during his daily coronavirus briefing in Trenton. “We have asked you to take to heart the need for social distancing. We have asked you to forego so many of the little things that we once could simply take for granted. We have asked you to wear face coverings when out in public. We have asked for your patience as an unprecedented pandemic engulfed our state.”
“We still have some numbers we need to keep driving down,” he added. “But I am confident of our odds.”
New Jersey hit a one-day high in deaths — 460 — on April 30 and a one-day high in new cases — 4,391 — on April 16.
