New Jersey remains in a “waiting pattern” for reopening, Gov. Phil Murphy said Friday, which means there are no immediate plans to allow people to return to gyms, movie theaters, restaurants and other businesses that remain closed.
“Believe me, I want to go to the gyms, I want to go to dinner indoors, I want to go to the theaters,” Murphy said. “But we cannot do it if we believe we will have a chance to kill people.”
But, Murphy said, he will announce plans Monday to resume high-contact outdoor sports.
New Jersey remains in Stage 2 of its gradual reopening plan, which was halted last week as the state’s transmission rate increased.
The state transmission rate, one of the key units used to measure the spread of the virus, is above the benchmark of 1, at 1.11. It was above 5 at the peak of the outbreak, but more recently fell below 1 for weeks. It rose to more than 1 earlier this month and has hovered around that mark for the past week.
The state’s positivity rate, another closely monitored figure, was 1.66% as of Monday, the date for which the data is available.
“The only way we can keep our positivity rate and Rt low is by taking the precautions that we have in the last four months,” said the governor. “That means social distancing, wearing a face mask every time you go out to the public, washing your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and staying home if you have any symptoms of respiratory illness.”
Authorities on Friday announced 202 more cases and 20 additional deaths attributed to the coronavirus, bringing the New Jersey total to 176,551 confirmed cases and 15,684 deaths from the virus.
Here is a summary of the news about coronavirus:
NJ is fighting to secure PPE for the second wave as coronavirus cases increase across the country. While COVID-19 cases in New Jersey have dropped dramatically from the peak three months ago, hospitals across the state are now struggling to accumulate EPP and get rapid test results as affected states like Florida and Texas reach hundreds of miles away deplete resources.
Music to your ears: Tim Welch Vocal Studio is practically outperforming COVID-19. The Maplewood-based studio has been hosting online singing lessons and parties where people of all vocal abilities and genres come together.er
“They will die in captivity,” they told the notorious Exxon kidnapper. At Covid’s risk, he’s asking to leave. Arthur Seale, 28 years after the infamous kidnapping plan that led to the murder of an Exxon executive, is calling for the compassionate release from prison.
2 Jersey Shore cities limit number of badge sales after crowds flock to beaches. Belmar has limited the number of daily beach badges that can be sold to 7,500 per day, and Manasquan has set a limit of 1,000 per day on Saturdays and Sundays for any type of beach badge.
People flying to NJ will be asked to complete a survey amid an out-of-state quarantine notice. People flying to New Jersey will be asked to complete an electronic survey starting Monday, as Garden State continues to call travelers arriving from 22 states that qualify as coronavirus hotspots to voluntarily quarantine during 14 days.
After a warning from the president of the teachers union, Murphy talks about the reopening of the school in NJ The head of New Jersey’s largest teachers union said in an interview published Friday that New Jersey schools don’t have enough time to put together the proper protocols to reopen safely in September.
The NJ Supreme Court will decide whether the state can legally borrow $ 9.9B to make up for losses.. The State Republican Committee and Republican lawmakers filed a lawsuit against the New Jersey Emergency Bonds Act COVID-19 “on Thursday night, shortly after it was passed by the state Legislature. The bond law allows the state to borrow up to $ 9.9 billion through June 30, 2021, provided the loan applications are approved by a committee of four legislators.
Liberty Island to partially reopen next week, Ellis Island to remain closed. After being closed for months by the coronavirus, Liberty Island will partially reopen to visitors on Monday, July 20, the National Park Service announced on Friday afternoon.
NJ Advance Media editors Brent Johnson, Rodrigo Torrejon, Chris Sheldon, Samantha Marcus, Avalon Zoppo, Ryan Patti, Ted Sherman, and contributed to this report.
