Governor Phil Murphy had a new message Friday for those who don’t like New Jersey’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic: head south to Georgia, where the governor is suing the Mayor of Atlanta for ordering facial masks despite new cases in that state and many others.
“We have nothing but prayers and big aspirations for … these other states to realize this,” Murphy said during his daily coronavirus briefing. “Because it’s not just about killing people there, it has the potential to kill people here.”
“But I would say for free: If you don’t like our leadership here, why don’t you go down to Georgia and see what that feels like?” added.
“We need responsible leadership in this country right now everywhere,” the governor continued. “I know there are people on both sides of the aisle throwing themselves and doing everything they can now. We need it constantly. “
“My God, suing communities that require covering their faces, I mean, is unfathomable,” Murphy continued.
Murphy made the comments in response to a question about what data he’s looking to further lift coronavirus restrictions in New Jersey. The governor said officials will base that on reducing the Garden State’s transmission rate and other metrics, as well as lowering numbers in other states.
“A lot of this is up to us,” he said. “But much of this is underway in fires that are being extinguished in other parts of the country. … We cannot ignore the world around us. “
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp announced Thursday that he is suing Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms for the city, forcing people to wear masks. Kemp, a Republican, argues that the measures violate his emergency orders.
“This lawsuit is on behalf of Atlanta business owners and their hardworking employees who are struggling to survive during these difficult times,” Kemp tweeted. “These men and women are doing their best to put food on the table for their families, while local elected officials close businesses and undermine economic growth.”
Bottoms responded with his own tweet: “3104 Georgians have died and I and my family are among the 106k who tested positive for COVID-19. Meanwhile, @GovKemp has sued me for a mask mandate. “
It is the latest chapter in an ongoing national (and often political) debate on the use of masks to combat the pandemic.
Last week, Murphy, a Democrat, faced backlash from some Republicans for demanding that people in New Jersey wear outdoor masks in public when social distancing is not possible. Masks have been required indoors in public for months.
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New Jersey, once a coronavirus hot spot, has recorded more than 15,000 COVID-19-related deaths, the second in the nation. But the state has seen its numbers drop dramatically and remain stable in the past few weeks after months of restrictions, while many other states are experiencing sudden increases in new cases and hospitalizations.
The Garden State reported on Friday 20 more deaths attributed to COVID-19 and 202 more positive tests.
Georgia on Friday reported 3,908 new cases in the last 24 hours. The peach state has averaged more than 3,400 new cases per day since July 7. Those are numbers similar to what New Jersey reported at its peak in April.
In all, Georgia, which has 10 million residents, compared to 9 million in New Jersey, has reported 3,132 deaths, with 28 in the past 24 hours.
Despite improving numbers in New Jersey, officials announced Friday that the state’s transmission rate has once again exceeded the critical benchmark of 1. That means, on average, each newly infected resident is transmitting the virus to at least one other person.
The goal is to keep it below 1. The most recent rate is 1.1, officials said Friday.
While critics continue to push him to move faster as unemployment rises and businesses suffer, Murphy said Friday that New Jersey is “largely in a waiting pattern” when it comes to further lifting the restrictions. of blocking the coronavirus. That means gyms, cinemas, dinners in bars and restaurants, and much more 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.”
More than 1.4 million New Jersey residents have applied for unemployment benefits since mid-March.
Murphy said he plans to announce Monday that he is allowing more outdoor sports to resume, including “high-contact sports.”
Meanwhile, the governor has asked people traveling from 22 states that qualify as coronavirus hotspots to voluntarily quarantine for 14 days after arriving in New Jersey, including residents returning to their homes.
New Jersey has now reported 15,684 deaths, 13,710 confirmed and 1,974 considered probable, with 176,551 known cases since its first case was announced on March 4.
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Brent johnson can be reached in [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @ johnsb01.
