NEWARK (1010 WINS) -- Gov. Phil Murphy said Friday that he is signing an executive order to create a Restart & Recovery Advisory Council, which will put "boots on the ground" as New Jersey moves forward with reopening amid the coronavirus pandemic.
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"This council will bring together leaders from various industry, community, and faith-based groups and institutions across our state — quite literally, hundreds of people — to work in conjunction with the Restart and Recovery Commission I named last week," Murphy said.
The council will focus its efforts on tactics, while the commission focuses on strategy, Murphy said.
The council will break into nine subcommittees, which will begin meeting virtually next week. The subcommittees are:
- Facilities and construction
- Government
- Health care
- Main street
- Manufacturing and supply chain
- Professional services
- Social services and faith
- Tourism and entertainment
- Transportation and infrastructure
The council will provide "a framework for coping with our new, long-term economic realities," Murphy said, ensuring there is a "strong and equitable recovery."
Murphy said there were 1,985 new coronavirus cases since Thursday, bringing the state's total to 135,454.
The governor said 28 percent of those tested were positive for the coronavirus as of May 4.
He said there were 162 more deaths since Thursday, bringing the statewide total to 8,952.
"That number only goes up, not down, as we parse the enormity of this crisis," Murphy said.
Among those deaths was a 4-year-old who had underlying health conditions.
"We've lost another blessed life. In this case, it's unfathomable that it's a 4-year-old," Murphy said, noting that he or she has been the only person under 18 to die of coronavirus complications in the state.
Murphy wouldn't say if the child had a condition similar to Kawaski disease and toxic shock-like syndrome that's been linked to COVID-19. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Friday that a child in New York City had died from the mysterious illness.
He said there were 4,605 hospitalizations for COVID-19 in the state as of Friday, with 334 of those hospitalizations new from Thursday to Friday.
Murphy also announced that the Meadowlands Expo Center Field Medical Station will close over the weekend, with operations transferring to East Orange General Hospital.
"This is no sign that we can or will relax our vigilance," Murphy said, adding that it shows efforts to combat the coronavirus are working.
Murphy also announced that the FEMA-run testing sites at Bergen Community College and PNC Arts Center will begin testing asymptomatic residents.
"Expanded access to testing is one of our key principles for getting New Jersey on the road back to restart and recovery," Murphy said.
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