New Jersey’s rate of COVID-19 infections continued to climb Thursday, and while the governor has so far slow-played new restrictions, more strident limits could be on the horizon.
The state on Thursday reported 3,517 new confirmed cases, bringing its total new cases since Monday to 10,472. The statewide positivity rate was 12%, and the rate of transmission continued to hover around 1.3.
The 1,827 COVID-19-related hospitalizations reported Thursday were the highest since June 4, and several hospitals in the state diverted patients elsewhere, some due to an influx of patients.
The governor on Thursday issued an order allowing local and county governments to order non-essential businesses to close after 8 p.m., the clearest sign yet from the administration that more lockdowns could be coming.
“We are empowering local officials — elected officials locally — to address unique situations when they feel that an operating hours restriction in the evening would help their efforts to stop the spread of COVID,” he said.
Still, that action fell far short of the total lockdown Murphy ordered in March amid similar infection rates.
But the governor isn’t ruling out a return the state’s strictest restrictions. A return to all-virtual schooling? It’s on the table. Lowering indoor capacity limits back down to 10 people? It’s on the table.
The governor is already amping up his virus briefing schedule. Starting next week, he’ll again hold briefings on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, up from the twice-weekly schedule he’s used since about Labor Day.
There is a silver lining. Though infection rates are ballooning and have been for weeks, deaths from COVID-19 remain far lower than they were in the early months of the pandemic.
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