TRENTON, N.J. (1010 WINS) -- New Jersey's COVID-19 transmission rate is increasing, and the state is monitoring indoor graduation parties and two other areas of "heightened concern" as a result, Gov. Phil Murphy said Friday.
The state's rate of COVID-19 transmission increased from 1.0 to 1.11 on Thursday, "meaning each new positive case is leading to one more positive case," Murphy said during a news briefing Friday afternoon.
The state's health department is currently monitoring three areas of "heightened concern" amid the uptick, the governor said: graduation parties, long-term care facilities and travelers returning from states with COVID-19 flareups.
"I mention graduations. I'm not talking about the ones on the football field. We have no evidence that that's leading to anything," he said. "We frankly have no evidence that the protests, the beach activity, the parks or these graduations have led to anything."
"When we say graduation parties, we mean indoors, in people's houses," he explained. "Come on, folks. Don't do this."
"We need to get that (rate of transmission) down to where we are actively slowing the spread of this virus," he added.
Murphy reported 202 new COVID-19 cases and 20 new deaths on Friday, bringing the state's case total to 176,551 and its death toll to 13,710. The majority of the new deaths, he noted, "actually occurred some time ago, and are only today being added to the confirmed count."
Seven of the new deaths happened over the past five days; 13 happened in July, and the remainder happened prior to July, Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli said. The state is also investigating 1,794 probable COVID-19 deaths.
The number of COVID-19 patients on ventilators in New Jersey was the lowest it has been in a "long, long time" on Thursday, Murphy said. As of Thursday, 397 New Jersey were hospitalized with confirmed COVID-19 cases, and 447 were hospitalized with suspected cases.
Of those 844 patients, 139 were in intensive care units, and 65 were on ventilators, he said.
Murphy on Friday also announced the state would create a "Governor's Disaster Recovery Office" that will serve as the point of contact for COVID-19 recovery programs funded through the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security) Act, as well as other federal funding sources.
The new office "will ensure that all funds are expended in compliance with federal rules and regulations," he said. A new COVID-19 Compliance Task Force, meanwhile, will oversee coronavirus-related financial relief efforts.
