N.J. coronavirus deaths increase to 15,737 with 177,256 total cases. Transmission rate remains steady below 1. – NJ.com

New Jersey’s death toll from the coronavirus increased to 15,737 known and probable fatalities on Tuesday, with 177,256 total cases in a little less than five months, while hospitalizations increased but the rate of transmission remains steady in showing the outbreak is once again slowing in the state.

State health officials reported 22 new confirmed deaths and 424 new cases, though a reporting issue with Quest labs tests that was disclosed on Monday continues to affect the state’s numbers, Gov. Phil Murphy said.

“We continue to work on the issue related to reporting from one of our private labs,” Murphy said while reporting the new numbers on Twitter. “Some reports are being received, but there is still a backlog waiting to be processed.”

State health officials estimated the backlog at 15,000 tests on Monday, but no update was provided on that number Tuesday. Murphy did not hold an in-person briefing Tuesday.

There have been 13,763 lab confirmed deaths and 1,974 probable fatalities since the Garden State’s outbreak began March 4.

This marks the 13th straight day New Jersey has reported fewer than 50 new deaths in one day.

The state’s transmission rate — a figure state officials are using to help determine how to further lift restrictions and allow more businesses to open — remained steady at 0.9, below the key benchmark of 1 that determines if the outbreak is spreading. If the number is 1 or above, that means, on average, each newly infected person is passing the virus to at least one other person. The rate eclipsed 5 at New Jersey’s COVID-19 peak.

Murphy also announced Tuesday the state is now calling on travelers from 31 states that qualify as coronavirus hotspots to voluntarily self-quarantine for 14 days upon arriving in New Jersey. That’s up from 22 last week as 10 states were added and one state was removed.

After hospitalizations fell below 800 Saturday, there were 833 people being treated for confirmed or suspected coronavirus cases at New Jersey’s 71 hospitals Monday night, according to the state’s coronavirus dashboard. Still, that’s significantly down from the state’s peak in mid-April, when there were more than 8,000 patients.

Of those hospitalized Monday, 159 were in critical or intensive care (13 more than Sunday) and 79 were on ventilators (7 more than Sunday). There were 48 coronavirus patients discharged from hospitals Monday.

COUNTY-BY-COUNTY NUMBERS

  • Bergen County: 20,052 cases (23 new), 1,764 confirmed deaths (268 probable)
  • Hudson County: 19,267 cases (12 new), 1,315 confirmed deaths (185 probable)
  • Essex County: 19,153 cases (33 new), 1,840 confirmed deaths (255 probable)
  • Passaic County: 17,181 cases (27 new), 1,082 confirmed deaths (158 probable)
  • Middlesex County: 17,155 cases (26 new), 1,179 confirmed deaths (221 probable)
  • Union County: 16,515 cases (14 new), 1,167 confirmed deaths (179 probable)
  • Ocean County: 9,988 cases (45 new), 940 confirmed deaths (73 probable)
  • Monmouth County: 9,683 cases (29 new), 750 confirmed deaths (101 probable)
  • Camden County: 7,867 cases (26 new), 504 confirmed deaths (56 probable)
  • Mercer County: 7,839 cases (10 new), 565 confirmed deaths (43 probable)
  • Morris County: 6,990 cases (23 new), 670 confirmed deaths (157 probable)
  • Burlington County: 5,478 cases (28 new), 424 confirmed deaths (42 probable)
  • Somerset County: 5,072 cases (8 new), 471 confirmed deaths (82 probable)
  • Atlantic County: 3,148 cases (23 new), 223 confirmed deaths (15 probable)
  • Cumberland County: 3,088 cases (8 new), 141 confirmed deaths (13 probable)
  • Gloucester County: 2,855 cases (30 new), 191 confirmed deaths (7 probable)
  • Warren County: 1,286 cases (6 new), 155 confirmed deaths (17 probable)
  • Sussex County: 1,253 cases (3 new), 158 confirmed deaths (37 probable)
  • Hunterdon County: 1,101 cases (1 new), 70 confirmed deaths (56 probable)
  • Salem County: 837 cases (6 new), 76 confirmed deaths (5 probable)
  • Cape May County: 760 cases (2 new), 78 confirmed deaths (4 probable)

New Jersey, a densely populated state of 9 million residents, ranks second among U.S. states in total COVID-19 deaths and fifth in total cases.

More than 40% of New Jersey’s COVID-19 deaths have been of either residents or staff members of nursing homes and other longterm care facilities. There have been 6,839 lab-confirmed deaths at those facilities, with 37,247 cases, according to the state’s dashboard.

More than 31,400 residents in the state have recovered from the virus, according to Johns Hopkins University.

There have now been more than 1.8 million COVID-19 tests administered in the state.

An early coronavirus hotspot in America, New Jersey has seen its number of new cases, deaths, and hospitalizations per day fall significantly and remain relatively stable for weeks.

The Garden State had a one-day peak high of 460 deaths on April 30, a peak high of 4,305 new cases on April 3. At the same time, numerous other states have seen new cases and hospitalizations surge in recent weeks.

CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Newsletter | Homepage

The total number of coronavirus cases in New Jersey is cumulative and does not reflect the thousands of residents who have recovered.

Officials say increases in new deaths and positive tests may produce total figures that don’t match the previous day’s numbers because the state is constantly investigating and re-evaluating cases.

Though Murphy has gradually peeled back restrictions and businesses closings in recent months, New Jersey remains in Stage 2 of its reopening plan. The governor paused the plan earlier this month after the transmission rate increased over 1 for the first time in months. That means gyms, movie theaters, indoor dining at bars and restaurants, and more remain closed.

More than 1.4 million New Jersey residents have filed for unemployment benefits since social distancing began in mid-March.

But Murphy on Monday announced that drills and practices for sports considered high-risk for transmitting the virus can resume in New Jersey as long as they are held at outdoor venues.

The debate over whether to reopen schools in the fall rages. Murphy has said the goal is to send New Jersey students back to in-person classes, though he has hinted that could change.

The governor announced Monday that parents will have the option of having their children learn fully remote. That plan is expected to be detailed later this week.

As of early Tuesday afternoon, there have been more than 14.75 million positive tests for COVID-19 across the globe, according to a running tally by Johns Hopkins University. Of those, more than 611,300 have died, while nearly 8.3 million have recovered.

There have been more than 141,100 deaths in the United States, by far the most in the world.

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Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com.