TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - New Jersey’s health commissioner is “cautiously optimistic” that the COVID-19 outbreak is leveling off, she said Friday.
Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli expects the rest of April and early May to be very busy for hospitals, but that models indicate a dip in the curve could come after that, she said at a news conference in Trenton with Gov. Phil Murphy.
“We’re cautiously optimistic, hopefully optimistic that we’re leveling off,” Persichilli said.
The northern part of the state, which has been very hard hit, has likely seen its peak, but the central and southern parts of the state have yet to.
Despite the optimism, Murphy said, it’s no time to relent on social distancing.
The state also saw 323 more deaths from the virus, putting the toll at 3,840 people total. More than 78,000 people have tested positive, up from about 75,000 the previous day, according to officials.
The death toll, while still going up, is a lagging indicator, said Dr. Christina Tan, the state epidemiologist.
A look at other developments in New Jersey:
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ECONOMIC REOPENING
Murphy described a Thursday call with the White House focused on restarting the economy as “good” and “decent.” He wants to see the state’s curve come down and more testing be put in place before businesses and schools reopen, he said.
He did not give a timeline for when the stay-at-home order would lift, and he urged people to continue keeping their distance.
“This is going in the right direction,” he said. “Let’s not let our guards down, or all bets are off.”
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NURSING HOMES
Nursing homes continue to face an onslaught from the virus.
Nearly every nursing home in the state has at least one case, with 1,530 of the deaths from COVID-19 coming from residents at these facilities, Persichilli said.
The development came a day after news came out about the discovery of 18 bodies stored in a “makeshift morgue” at the state’s largest nursing home. Murphy has asked the state attorney general to investigate, and health department and federal health officials are also surveying the facility in Sussex County.
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ABOUT THE VIRUS
For most people, the virus causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up in a couple of weeks. Older adults and people with existing health problems are at higher risk of more severe illness, including pneumonia, or death.
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