Murphy emphasizes using resources properly as state total now at 8,825

UPDATED: 4:26 p.m. 

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Gov. Phil Murphy announced Friday an additional 1,982 positive coronavirus cases, bringing the state total to 8,825. Over 250 cases are in the southern part of the state. He also said there were an additional 27 new deaths, bringing the state total of coronavirus-related deaths to 108. Six of the fatalities are in South Jersey. 

Gloucester County officials also said an 82-year-old woman with underlying conditions is their first fatality. 

Related

The governor said he has authorized the advanced payment of over $140 million to health care providers to prepare them for coronavirus-related costs. 

He also said “testing the right people, those who are symptomatic” would give state officials critical information, while also being the "best metric" for making sure resources are being used properly.

Murphy emphasized focusing on the rate of positive tests among those who are symptomatic, saying that testing every person gives “useless” data.

A third of those tested for COVID-19 have it, and eight percent of them are in hospitals. 

Experts are predicting a surge in the need for hospital beds, particularly up north, by the middle of next month, not to mention an increased need for nurses and doctors. 

That prompted Murphy to ask for trained medical personnel out of the business to get back in.

“This isn’t just for New Jersey residents, either. We’re looking across our nation for help. Retired nurses or doctors. Nursing and medical students. EMTs. Former members of our armed services medical corps. If you have training, we need you,” Murphy said.

So much of our chance for success in ending the #COVID19 emergency relies on expanding testing.We have the lab capacity in New Jersey, and we’ve taken concrete steps to increase our specimen-collection capacity.This is an all-hands-on-deck process.

— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) March 27, 2020

There are plans to address financial concerns this weekend, such as how to help people who, all of the sudden, can’t pay their mortgage.

Murphy also reminded all businesses and non-hospital health care facilities that have personal protective and medical equipment that aren't being used for critical health care services to submit an inventory to the state by 5 p.m. Friday here.  

___

KYW Newsradio's David Madden contributed to this report.