TRENTON, N.J. (1010 WINS) -- New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy reported 70 new COVID-19 deaths and 539 new positive tests on Thursday as the state marked 100 days since its first confirmed case.
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New Jersey confirmed its first COVID-19 case on March 4, two days after a 32-year-old physician assistant checked into Hackensack University Medical Center with symptoms.
Since then, 165,816 people in the state have tested positive for the virus, and 12,433 have died, Murphy said during his daily briefing on Thursday.
Hospitals across the state were treating 1,512 people for COVID-19 as of Thursday, 319 of whom were on ventilators, he said.
"Today marks 100 days, hard to believe, since the first case of COVID-19 in New Jersey was confirmed," he said. "In some ways it's hard to believe that it's been 100 days; in other ways it's hard to believe it's only been 100 days."
"And it's equally hard to fathom the impact this virus has had on our state, our communities, our economy, and frankly, on our nation, and on the world," he added. "But just as we remain committed to continuing our fight to save lives, we are committed to putting our state on the road back."
New COVID-19 hospitalizations are down by more than 90 percent from New Jersey's peak two months ago, Murphy said. Ventilator use, meanwhile, has dropped by nearly 80 percent.
"Over the last two weeks alone, we've continued our progress as one New Jersey," he said. "We're not done yet, but I'm confident."
New Jersey will enter the second phase of its reopening, which includes outdoor dining and limited in-person retail, starting June 15. A series of additional reopenings will follow.
"At 100 days, I want to say thank you to the millions of New Jerseyans who understood why we took the actions we did, and who remain understanding of the need for us to remain vigilant," Murphy said. "Because of you, we can enter Stage 2 of our restart and recovery on Monday."
New Jerseyans should continue to practice social distancing and adhere to the state's reopening guidelines, he noted.
"We've come too far together to see all the good nine million New Jerseyans have done, undone in haste," he said. "One step forward today cannot lead to two steps back tomorrow."
Murphy on Thursday also said 94 percent of New Jersey residents who have claimed weekly unemployment benefits during the pandemic have received payments.
All state residents "who had exhausted their previous (unemployment) eligibility and are eligible for expanded federal benefits have been cleared to receive that assistance," he added.
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