The rate of new cases of coronavirus in New Jersey has increased in recent days with state officials blaming new outbreaks at parties along the Jersey shore and other areas of the state.
The state has reported more than 450 new cases for several days in a row after previously reducing its seven-day average of new cases to 233 in early July, according to coronavirus data compiled by The New York Times.
Information from Governor Phil Murphy (D) ‘s office obtained by the Times pointed to several inland meetings along the coast that have been blamed for localized outbreaks; A home party in Middletown, NJ has so far been linked to 65 cases, while another in Long Beach, NJ has been linked to 35.
“Now we are back, more or less, to where we were a month ago in the daily number of new cases. We cannot go backwards. We can’t afford to back down, “Murphy said Wednesday at a press conference.
Videos posted on TikTok and other social media platforms show hundreds of tourists in the vicinity of some coastal areas, raising questions about whether tourists could practice social distancing with so many others.
Jersey Shore pic.twitter.com/LISPkDdwBx
– Maria De Andrade (@ MariaDeAndrad13) July 28, 2020
Jersey Shore pic.twitter.com/LISPkDdwBx
– Maria De Andrade (@ MariaDeAndrad13) July 28, 2020
“I just want to beg parents and children one more time,” the governor said Monday at a press conference, according to the Times. “Don’t congregate inside. Please do not do that. If you are going to meet, go outside. Wear a face covering. Stay away from each other. “
New Jersey officials have reported more than 182,000 cases of the virus since the start of the pandemic, and the state has seen nearly 16,000 deaths related to the virus.
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