Maps, charts show slowing of coronavirus spread in N.J. (Sunday, May 31) – NJ.com

New Jersey neared 160,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus on Saturday, with state officials reporting 159,608.

The death toll has risen to 11,634, according to the latest figures.

Saturday brought 764 new cases and 103 new deaths as Gov. Phil Murphy began issuing executive orders outlining how and when child care centers could reopen, organized sports could begin no-contact outdoor practices and day camps and other municipal recreation programs could open for the summer.

That means, Murphy’s office confirmed, that Rutgers football practices could begin in late June.

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Murphy said Friday that child care centers could reopen in two weeks, starting June 15. Organized sports are permitted to begin practicing June 22 and day camps and recreation programs can start July 6.

“We want you to have an active summer with your friends playing the sport you love, while protecting your health,” Murphy said at his Friday briefing, regarding organized sports.

The executive orders announcing the re-openings came as deaths ticked down slightly, down 28 from the previous day.

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Murphy also said that churches could soon hold larger indoor services and issued an executive order on Saturday that horse racing could also resume with no fans, but with online betting allowed.

Murphy said Friday that the data continued to move “in the right direction” saying he and other officials were “confident in our overall direction.”

“These challenges are surmountable if we stick to it,” he said.

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The number of New Jerseyans hospitalized with confirmed or suspected coronavirus cases ticked down after two days of increasing. There were 2,626 patients in the state’s 71 hospitals as of Wednesday, a decrease of 81 from the previous day.

The overall total, though, is down 68% from its mid-April peak.

At the state’s longterm care facilities, there are a total of 32,619 cases — 20% of the state’s overall cases — and 5,963 deaths, 51% of the overall deaths.

“Let them never, ever, ever just be numbers,” Murphy said Friday. “God bless them all.”

About 28% of global COVID-19 deaths have now occurred in the United States, and nearly 367,000 people have died from the virus worldwide.

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ALSO: Latest town-by-town breakdowns of coronavirus cases and deaths across N.J.

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J. Dale Shoemaker is a reporter on the data & investigations team. He can be reached at jshoemaker@njadvancemedia.com.