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The latest wave of coronavirus cases ushered in a new round of restrictions in New Jersey to slow the second wave of the pandemic – and new warnings from Gov. Phil Murphy that more limits could follow if the spread and hospitalizations continue to increase get worse.
Murphy on Monday did not rule out ordering another state shutdown like the one he installed in the first wave of March.
“Do we reserve the right to shut everything down?” Unfortunately, we have to use these numbers, ”he said.
New Jersey on Tuesday announced 4,060 new positive tests – the third time in four days with more than 4,000 cases – and 38 new deaths, the highest since July 11.
The seven-day average of new positive tests rose to 3,603 on Tuesday, up 40% from the previous week and 325% more than a month ago.
“We continue to do whatever we can to fend off the current COVID-19 pandemic and this second wave and save all possible lives – especially as this second wave is now crashing around us,” Murphy said. by announcing the latest issues at an unrelated Newark event.
Murphy also tightened the limits on indoor gatherings in New Jersey from 25 to 10 people and outdoor gatherings of 500 to 150 people on Monday. There are exemptions for weddings, funerals, and church services, but the latest decree includes specific rules for young people, high schools, colleges, and professional sports.
So what could he follow if the second wave continues to rise?
The governor alluded to some things on Monday during his last coronavirus briefing in Trenton. They include:
- Closing the meal inside
- Ending elective surgeries in hospitals
- Cancellation of all indoor sports
“The other steps that are on the list, I think, are the most obvious, aren’t they?” Murphy said at the briefing as he turned to Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli. “We talked about elective surgery. Hope the hell we keep eating indoors, please God. I hope we can keep the indoor sports going. But those are challenges.
Persichilli said current models show the second wave could peak towards the end of the year and hospitalizations could be lower than the more than 8,000 patients treated in April. But this is based on a number of assumptions.
“It all depends on people’s behavior,” she said. “It’s a very transmissible virus and masking and social distancing is so important. It sounds so simple, but it’s the key.”
As for other possible restrictions?
“We really hope not, but we watch this every day,” said Persichilli.
Stephanie Silvera, epidemiologist and professor of public health at Montclair State University, said the state should already impose more restrictions and she suspects there may be more as time continues to cool down.
“Mainly because if you look at where we were at that time in the spring, we had more severe restrictions,” Silvera said. The goal should be to get ahead and not be reactive. “
Silvera said the state should closely monitor activities such as indoor restaurants, bars and gyms throughout the winter as potentially higher risk activities. And she said part of the goal shouldn’t be just to restrict people, but “to send the message we need to take this seriously.”
CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracking | Bulletin | Home page
In nearby Philadelphia, the city on Monday ordered sweeping closures similar to the lockdowns ordered by Murphy in March. From Friday until at least January 1, indoor gatherings of any size are prohibited, indoor dining is prohibited, retail stores and religious institutions are limited to 5% capacity, and middle and high schools have been moved to virtual learning only. In addition, gymnasiums, museums, theaters, bowling alleys, arcades, casinos and libraries have been closed.
New Jersey’s record-breaking days of new positive tests over the weekend – 4,395 Saturday and 4,540 Sunday – are based on significantly increased availability of tests compared to the first wave of coronavirus in March and April. The state’s testing capacity in the spring was about 4,000 tests per day, while current daily tests vary between 15,000 and 55,000 per day, according to the State Department of Health’s COVID-19 dashboard.
“In just four days, you hit 14,566 and the cumulative total is 281,493,” Murphy said of the total number of cases between Friday and Monday. “Another way to look at it is that 5% of our total arrived in the last four days.”
The positivity rate for tests administered on Friday, the most recent day available, was 8.73%. The positivity rate remained above 8% for the last week of available results after remaining below 4% throughout the summer.
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Matt Arco can be reached at [email protected].
Brent Johnson can be reached at [email protected].
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