The trajectory of new cases has shown gradual flattening in Monmouth County. (Monmouth County data. Click to enlarge.)
By JOHN T. WARD
With new COVID-19 illness totals showing continued abatement, New Jersey passed another grim milestone as the number of deaths in the pandemic topped 12,000, Governor Phil Murphy said Friday.
At the same time, Murphy lauded state residents for working to “beat the crap out of this virus,” with key indicators down 70 percent or more from peak spread as the state nears “stage two” of an economic reopening.
As of Friday, the state Health Department said it had received reports of 12,049 deaths confirmed to have been caused by or hastened by COVID-19.
Among them were 630 Monmouth County residents, according to the department’s online database.
The number of patients hospitalized with the disease, being treated in intensive care, or on ventilators was down 70 percent or more from the peak about a month ago, Murphy said at his daily briefing on the crisis.
“New hospitalizations are down more than 90 percent,” he said. “This means our hospitals are no longer bowing under the strain of COVID-19 and are better prepared for the days to come.”
Under a series of executive orders in recent weeks, Murphy has been gradually announcing new pieces of what he calls “stage two” of easing from an emergency lockdown he imposed across the economy March 21.
Upcoming milestones include a resumption of indoor faith gatherings beginning June 12, followed by limited outdoor bar, restaurant and retail activity June 15 and outdoor graduation ceremonies July 6.
Murphy said he would have guidance on the reopening of swimming facilities Monday.
• Murphy urged that participants in any of the dozens of protests planned for coming days over the murder of George Floyd “get tested” for the virus afterward. “We’ve got the capacity,” he said.
• B. Sue Fulton, chief administrator of the state’s Motor Vehicle Commission, outlined a phased plan to reopen the agency “with streamlined processes to ensure that the customer spends as little time as possible inside the MVC.
• In its daily news release, Monmouth County said it has now had 8,493 confirmed COVID-19 cases as of Friday, up 38 since Thursday and 342 since Friday, May 29. Here’s the breakdown by town:
- Aberdeen: 235
- Allenhurst: 6
- Allentown: 9
- Asbury Park: 262
- Atlantic Highlands: 35
- Avon-by-the-Sea: 12
- Belmar: 38
- Bradley Beach: 54
- Brielle: 32
- Colts Neck: 77
- Deal: 30
- Eatontown: 281
- Englishtown: 42
- Fair Haven: 27, up 2 in the past week
- Farmingdale: 12
- Freehold Borough: 400
- Freehold Township: 657
- Hazlet: 298
- Highlands: 31
- Holmdel: 284
- Howell: 638
- Interlaken: 4
- Keansburg: 190
- Keyport: 99
- Lake Como: 16
- Little Silver: 37, unchanged
- Loch Arbour: 1
- Long Branch: 547
- Manalapan: 465
- Manasquan: 32
- Marlboro: 471
- Matawan: 211
- Middletown: 709
- Millstone Township: 83
- Monmouth Beach: 21
- Neptune City: 58
- Neptune Township: 562
- Ocean: 328
- Oceanport: 62
- Red Bank: 228, up 17 over the past week
- Roosevelt: 7
- Rumson: 36
- Sea Bright: 12
- Sea Girt: 14
- Shrewsbury Borough: 53
- Shrewsbury Township: 10
- Spring Lake: 16
- Spring Lake Heights: 21
- Tinton Falls: 210
- Union Beach: 44
- Upper Freehold: 60
- Wall: 352
- West Long Branch: 65
- Unknown: 9
• In the past week, the state health agency has reported on additional death at the Hackensack Meridian longterm care facility in Red Bank.
The majority of COVID-19 deaths in the borough have been associated with the Chapin Avenue facility, which has had 15, the state reported.
