NJ Coronavirus: 19 New Cases, Statewide School Shutdown Close – Toms River, NJ Patch

NEW JERSEY — New Jersey is “close” to a statewide shutdown of schools, but Gov. Phil Murphy on Saturday said the Garden State is not quite ready to do so yet. Nineteen new cases were also announced.

Murphy said the state is still “not yet at a position to make an announcement” on the schools as the number of statewide cases rose from from 50 to 69 on Saturday.

The new cases are in the following counties: Bergen (7), Middlesex (7), Essex (2), Hudson (2) and Monmouth (1). Thirteen involve women and six are men, all ranging in age from 18 to 80. Read more: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here’s What You Need To Know

Before closing, Murphy said, the state needs to deal with children whose “only reliable meal” is from their school. He said there are also implications for children and daycare, as well as the question of remote access, that need to be sorted out before a statewide shutdown.

“We are close,” Murphy said.

Murphy said a number of students still need to prepare for distance learning, and perhaps as many as 260,000 of the 1.4 million in the state cannot adequately access online classroom materials, he said. “We need to mitigate the impacts,” he said.

Officials also noted other steps are being taken, noting that the American Dream site will close on Sunday and all movie theaters in Bergen County – which has a total of 25 cases – will shut.

The governor said it’s also important to lessen anxiety. “We will get through this,” Murphy said. “We will not get through this unscathed.”

Also, state Supreme Court Chief Justice Stuart Rabner announced on Saturday that municipal court sessions will be suspended for two weeks, beginning Monday, March 16, to mitigate public exposure to COVID-19 coronavirus.

The governor’s statements came only one day after Murphy said a statewide school shutdown would happen “in a matter of days” and that the Garden State needs to be fully prepared for it.

Hundreds of colleges and schools in New Jersey have already shifted to distance learning. Read more: Coronavirus NJ School Closures: Here’s The Latest (UPDATE)

“The watch word is: Do this responsibly,” Murphy said on Friday. “I can’t give you an exact date but my best guess is a matter of days. We don’t want to do this and, oh my God, react to unintended consequences.”

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The state also said it will no longer call these cases “presumptive positive” tests. They are now considered “positive” and “confirmed.”

Presumptive positive meant the person tested positive in state labs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ultimately confirms the test. So far, 100 percent of the state’s positive tests had been confirmed.

Here’s what else you should know:

How It Spreads

The virus that causes COVID-19 is spreading from person-to-person. Someone who is actively sick with COVID-19 can spread the illness to others. That is why CDC recommends that these patients be isolated either in the hospital or at home (depending on how sick they are) until they are better and no longer pose a risk of infecting others.

There is currently no vaccine for COVID-19.

While the best way to prevent illness is to avoid virus exposure, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention always recommends taking preventive actions to contain the spread of viruses. This includes:

  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
  • Stay home when you are sick.
  • Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipes.
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.

This is a developing story. Patch will have more information as it comes in.