TRENTON, N.J. (KYW Newsradio) — COVID-19 is spreading faster in New Jersey than in any other state. As a result, Gov. Phil Murphy said coronavirus restrictions won't be loosened for a while.
The latest CDC figures show New Jersey's seven-day average of new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents is the highest in the country. Murphy, at his regular coronavirus media briefing Monday, acknowledged the dubious distinction. "We are back to leading the nation in the spread of this virus," he said.
Murphy reported 2,608 new COVID-19 cases and 28 additional deaths. Most of the spread has been in the north and central parts of the state.
Murphy said he has been cautious in announcing the lifting of restrictions – and with these latest numbers, he said, don't look for more anytime soon. "Six or eight weeks ago we started saying, 'But for the variants we'd be taking more steps more aggressively sooner,' and I think you're seeing that play out," he told reporters.
"We've been very cautious in our reopenings. We've probably taken a lot more heat about being too cautious as opposed to being too liberal, that's for sure. But that's been for a reason. Because we know we're not out of this thing yet."
Murphy said the state is about halfway to its goal of vaccinating 70% of the eligible adult population by Memorial Day. But he warned that the vaccines are not a magic wand, and that people who have been inoculated can still spread the virus.
"The presence of vaccines - which is great, and we're among the nation's leaders in getting shots into arms - does not mean the pandemic is over,” he warned.
State Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said her department has been monitoring the state hospital census and continuing to consult with hospital operators. She maintained the state was not letting its guard down.
"We are acting as if a surge could happen tomorrow," Persichilli said. "The one thing we've learned through all of this is we can't trust this virus to act in any way that's predictable."