Normally busy, Broad Street in Red Bank was almost people-free Wednesday evening. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

[See UPDATE below]

By JOHN T. WARD

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy cited “glimmers of hope” in his daily update on the COVID-19 crisis Friday.The state’s death toll in the pandemic rose by 233, to 1,932 after adjustments, since Thursday’s daily briefing on the crisis, said state Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli.

According to the health department’s COVID-19 web page, another 9 Monmouth County resident deaths were reported Friday, driving the total to 107. [NOTE: redbankgreen incorrectly reported the total Thursday.]

The administration also reported hospitals had discharged another 682 COVID-19 patients as of 10 p.m. Thursday, up from 471 Wednesday. Some, particularly in northern New Jersey, are being steered to “low-acuity” pop-up facilities and hotels, Persichilli said.

“We are at least beginning to see some light here,” Murphy said, also citing data that shows number of new cases is taking longer to double in most of the state’s 21 counties, including Bergen, where the disease took hold in the state and has now killed 390 people.

Hospitals statewide took in another 203 infected patients, bringing the total to 7,570 beds used, with 156 placed into intensive care, for a total 1,679, the state reported. Of them, 112 more were hooked up to lifesaving ventilators, for a total 1,663.

Officials and healthcare systems are bracing for a surge of hospitalizations as testing identifies more COVID-19 patients, a cohort that grew by 3,627 from Thursday, to 54,588.

Monmouth’s caseload was up 244 from the total 3,252 reported by county Freeholders Thursday evening, the state said.

According to a projection used by the administration, New Jersey could see 14,400 hospitalizations in the next two or three days, with some 2,880 more patients needing intensive care, Persichilli said Thursday.

Hospitals statewide had doubled their normal inventory of 2,000 critical care beds.

“We believe they will be able to handle the peak,” particularly regarding critical care, Persichilli said in response to a reporter’s question. But with healthcare workers also becoming sick or self-isolating, “the workforce is tight right now,” she said.

Murphy hammered the need for the public to stick to social distancing recommendations.

“We think we can withstand [peak] with the amount of beds, but throw that out the window” if compliance weakens, he said.

Related:

• Murphy signed an executive order allowing certain-low risk state prisoners to be placed on temporary home confinement or granted parole if already eligible through an expedited process.

No one convicted of a serious crime such as murder is eligible, Murphy said.

• Here are the Monmouth County case totals by town:

• Aberdeen: 104
• Allenhurst: 2
• Allentown: 2
• Asbury Park: 62
• Atlantic Highlands: 14
• Avon-by-the-Sea: 10
• Belmar: 6
• Bradley Beach: 15
• Brielle: 19
• Colts Neck: 46
• Deal: 21
• Eatontown: 100
• Englishtown: 12
• Fair Haven: 15, unchanged 
• Farmingdale: 9
• Freehold Borough: 93
• Freehold Township: 288
• Hazlet: 138
• Highlands: 12
• Holmdel: 112
• Howell: 316
• Interlaken: 1
• Keansburg: 60
• Keyport: 39
• Lake Como: 10
• Little Silver: 24, unchanged
• Loch Arbour: 1
• Long Branch: 184
• Manalapan: 274
• Manasquan: 20
• Marlboro: 267
• Matawan: 85
• Middletown: 284
• Millstone: 41
• Monmouth Beach: 14
• Neptune City: 20
• Neptune Township: 188
• Ocean: 153
• Oceanport: 40
• Red Bank: 64, up 4 from Thursday
• Roosevelt: 3
• Rumson: 23
• Sea Bright: 8
• Sea Girt: 9
• Shrewsbury Borough: 21
• Shrewsbury Township: 4
• Spring Lake: 6
• Spring Lake Heights: 13
• Tinton Falls: 61
• Union Beach: 18
• Upper Freehold: 26
• Wall: 110
• West Long Branch: 40
• Unknown: 5