N.J. deaths from coronavirus increase to 12,303 with 164,796 total cases. Stay-at-home order lifted. – NJ.com

The coronavirus outbreak in New Jersey has now led to 12,303 deaths with 164,796 total cases in nearly 14 weeks, though Gov. Phil Murphy announced another step in the reopening plan as the outbreak slows by lifting the stay-at-home order in place since March.

The move was accompanied by raises the number of people permitted to gather indoor and outdoor as the state nears the start of Stage 2 of the reopening plan on Monday. That change affects houses of worship immediately and outdoor graduations when they are allowed to occur starting July 6.

Murphy on Tuesday reported 91 new fatalities attributed to COVID-19 and 375 new positive tests in the state of 9 million residents. New Jersey has the second-largest outbreak in the United States, but Tuesday marked the 11th consecutive day the state announced fewer than 1,000 new cases.

The Garden State’s number of new coronavirus deaths, cases, and hospitalizations overall are down dramatically since peaking in April. Murphy has stressed that the rate of coronavirus retransmission in New Jersey remains below 1 — meaning every infected person spreads it to fewer than one other person.

With its COVID-19 metrics down and its economy struggling, New Jersey is set to enter enter “Stage 2” of its multi-phase reopening plan on Monday, with restaurants allowed to offer outdoor dining and nonessential retail stores permitted to welcome customers inside again, at 50% capacity.

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.

Officials said there were 1,736 coronavirus patients reported across New Jersey’s 71 hospitals as of 10 p.m. Monday down from more than 8,000 patients in mid-April, according to the state’s tracking website. Of those hospitalized, 510 patients were in critical or intensive care, while 373 were on ventilators. Officials reported there were 80 coronavirus patients discharged in the state on Monday.

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.

The county-by-county breakdown of cases and deaths includes:

  • Hudson County: 18,607 with 1,235 deaths
  • Bergen County: 18,573 with 1,628 deaths
  • Essex County: 18,151 with 1,722 deaths
  • Passaic County: 16,492 with 977 deaths
  • Union County: 16,302 with 1,100 deaths
  • Middlesex County: 16,251 with 1,053 deaths
  • Ocean County: 9,059 with 787 deaths
  • Monmouth County: 8,512 with 650 deaths
  • Mercer County: 7,204 with 509 deaths
  • Camden County: 6,849 with 381 deaths
  • Morris County: 6,605 with 626 deaths
  • Burlington County: 4,808 with 334 deaths
  • Somerset County: 4,679 with 430 deaths
  • Cumberland County: 2,583 with 95 deaths
  • Atlantic County: 2,401 with 167 deaths
  • Gloucester County: 2,340 with 153 deaths
  • Warren County: 1,193 with 135 deaths
  • Sussex County: 1,140 with 149 deaths
  • Hunterdon County: 1,027 with 64 deaths
  • Salem County: 686 with 54 deaths
  • Cape May County: 654 with 54 deaths

Another 680 cases remain under investigation to determine where the person resides.

CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Newsletter | Homepage

Murphy has already allowed parks, beaches, boardwalks, and lakes in New Jersey to reopen. As part of Stage 2, child daycare centers may reopen Monday, as well as public and private community pools. Hair salons and barbershops can reopen June 22. Outdoor, non-contact organized sports can resume the same day.

Youth day camps can operate beginning July 6, all with restrictions.

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

Nearly 1.2 million New Jersey residents have filed for unemployment since aggressive social distancing started in mid-March, causing the state’s unemployment rate to surge to 15.3%, though the number of new claims has fallen in recent weeks.

As of Tuesday, more than 7.1 million people have tested positive for COVID-19 across the world, according to a running tally by Johns Hopkins University. Of those, more than 407,000 have died and more than 3.3 million have recovered.

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