N.J. coronavirus deaths rise to 12,489, with 166,164 total cases confirmed as more reopenings near – NJ.com

As the state approaches its second stage of reopening from lockdown restrictions, New Jersey officials on Friday reported 48 new deaths attributed to the coronavirus and 495 new positive tests.

That brings the statewide total to 12,489 known deaths related to COVID-19, with 166,164 known cases, in 101 days since the state’s first case was reported March 4.

New Jersey, a densely populated state of 9 million residents, has the second-most deaths and cases among U.S. states, after New York.

But officials say New Jersey’s overall trends — including daily new deaths, cases and hospitalizations — continue to drop after peaking in April. Friday is now the 14th consecutive day the state reported less than 1,000 new cases and the ninth straight day with fewer than 2,000 coronavirus hospitalizations.

New Jersey hit a one-day high in deaths — 460 — on April 30 and a one-day high in new cases — 4,391 — on April 16. Murphy also said the rate of COVID-19 retransmission in New Jersey has remained below 1 for weeks — meaning every infected person spreads it to fewer than one other person.

This comes as New Jersey is now three days away from beginning Stage 2 of its multi-phase reopening plan — when outdoor dining will be permitted and nonessential businesses can welcome customers back inside, at 50% capacity.

“Our transmission rate has dropped to among the lowest in the country,” Gov. Phil Murphy said during his daily coronavirus briefing in Trenton on Friday. “Right now, the national news is reporting about other states witnessing spikes in COVID-19 cases and impacts — states which rushed to reopen without taking the time to put protocols in place, or even waiting for the wave to subside. The foolhardiness of their actions is now being seen.”

New Jersey is one of a few states that has seen its daily coronavirus numbers drop after strict lockdown orders, but new cases are rising in 14 states as restrictions begin to get lifted.

HOSPITAL TRENDS

Officials said there were 1,480 coronavirus patients reported across New Jersey’s 71 hospitals as of 10 p.m. Thursday, the latest available data. That’s down 32 from Wednesday and down from more than 8,000 patients in mid-April, according to the state’s tracking website.

Of those hospitalized, 415 patients were in critical or intensive care, while 300 were on ventilators.

Officials reported 117 new coronavirus patients were admitted to New Jersey hospitals Wednesday, while 133 coronavirus patients were discharged.

CORONAVIRUS CASES IN EACH COUNTY

Here are the latest county-by-county breakdowns of confirmed cases and fatalities as of early Friday afternoon, according to the state coronavirus tracking website:

  • Bergen County: 18,743 cases, with 1,649 deaths
  • Hudson County: 18,693 cases, with 1,246 deaths
  • Essex County: 18,295 cases, with 1,728 deaths
  • Passaic County: 16,581 cases, with 988 deaths
  • Middlesex County: 16,353 cases, with 1,070 deaths
  • Union County: 16,351 cases, with 1,112 deaths
  • Ocean County: 9,200 cases, with 807 deaths
  • Monmouth County: 8,660 cases, with 662 deaths
  • Mercer County: 7,295 cases, with 515 deaths
  • Camden County: 6,952 cases, with 399 deaths
  • Morris County: 6,556 cases, with 632 deaths
  • Burlington County: 4,848 cases, with 350 deaths
  • Somerset County: 4,736 cases, with 433 deaths
  • Cumberland County: 2,645 cases, with 104 deaths
  • Atlantic County: 2,453 cases, with 172 deaths
  • Gloucester County: 2,379 cases, with 156 deaths
  • Warren County: 1,200 cases, with 138 deaths
  • Sussex County: 1,150 cases, with 149 deaths
  • Hunterdon County: 1,034 cases, with 66 deaths
  • Salem County: 699 cases, with 56 deaths
  • Cape May County: 664 cases, with 57 deaths

There are another 677 positive cases that remain under investigation, with the patients’ home counties not confirmed.

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

EXPLAINING THE TOTAL CASES

The total number of coronavirus cases in New Jersey is cumulative and does not reflect the likely thousands of residents who have recovered. There may also be infected residents who have yet to be tested, though the state has more than doubled the daily tests being administered in recent weeks.

LONGTERM CARE NUMBERS

There have now been at least 35,041 coronavirus cases across 551 of the state’s longterm care facilities, according to the tracking website. That includes 23,375 residents and 11,666 staff members.

That’s 175 more cases than the state reported Thursday. The state did not have a total number Friday for lab-confirmed deaths attributed to the virus at those facilities. But the state reported 6,395 total fatalities, including lab-confirmed deaths and deaths suspected to have been related to COVID-19.

Of those, 6,281 were residents and 114 were staff members.

CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Newsletter | Homepage

As Stage 2 of New Jersey’s reopening plan arrives, child daycare centers may operate again starting Monday.

Hair salons, barbershops, nail salons and tattoo parlors can reopen June 22. So can pools and outdoor, non-contact organized sports. And youth day camps can operate beginning July 6. All will have restrictions.

Gyms, libraries, museums, and some government offices are also expected to reopen during the stage, though there is not timeline yet for those.

Murphy has already allowed parks, beaches, boardwalks, and lakes in New Jersey to reopen.

As of Friday morning, more than 7.5 million people have tested positive for COVID-19 across the world, according to a running tally by Johns Hopkins University. Of those, more than 422,000 have died — including 113,899 in the United States.

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NJ Advance Media staff writer Len Melisurgo contributed to this report. Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com.