Gov. Murphy: 1,182 New Coronavirus Cases, 18 New Deaths

NEW JERSEY — New Jersey once again reported more than 1,000 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, and deaths related to the virus hit double digits for the third straight day, Gov. Phil Murphy announced.

Speaking from his home as part of his self-quarantine after being exposed to someone who tested positive for the virus, Murphy called the 1,182 new cases and 18 new deaths "sobering." Read more here: Murphy Quarantines After NJ Bar Visit With Staffer Who Got COVID

"We are not only not out of the woods yet, but we need to find a way to combat pandemic fatigue," Murphy said. "We can't drop the ball, and that's especially true when it comes to welcoming people into our homes."

A total of 224,385 New Jersey residents have now tested positive for the coronavirus since the beginning of the pandemic. There have been 14,474 confirmed deaths and 1,789 probable deaths related to the virus.

It is the second consecutive day in which 18 deaths were reported. He said 15 of the newly-reported deaths occurred in the last week. The number of new cases has hit more than 1,000 multiple times in the last week, the first time that's happened since just after Memorial Day. Read more here: NJ Tops 1K COVID-19 Cases Again But No Reopening Reversal

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There were 852 hospitalizations statewide Thursday night, the second straight day that more than 800 residents were hospitalized for the virus. This is the first time that's happened in more than three months, Murphy said.

Essex County had the most new single-day cases at 196. Bergen, Hudson and Union each also saw more than 100 new cases on Thursday.

That shows the importance of contact tracing and testing capacity, which is hard to do if the upsurge happens in private homes, Murphy said.

The statewide positivity rate was 5.28 percent on Sunday, and the statewide rate of transmission was 1.17. It's been between 1.15 and 1.18 for the last week, and Murphy spoke about the need to get that number below 1. Twenty-eight of the new cases came from three cases related to schools, Murphy said.

New cases in Monmouth and Ocean counties seem to be going down. The positivity rate in Ocean County was just over 5, half of what it was last week, according to Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli. That shows the importance of contact tracing and testing capacity, which is hard to do if the upsurge happens in private homes, Murphy said.

"People gathering in private homes is when we see trouble," Murphy said. "That's true of dinner parties, birthday parties, getting together for a football game. You should avoid people outside your immediate family or the small bubble you've created. If you get together, do it outside. It's not a completely different reality, but it is a very different reality."

He also reiterated his message urging residents not to engage in unnecessary inter-state travel. Read more here: Gov. Murphy's New Coronavirus Advice To NJ: Don't Travel

Responding to a reporter's question, Murphy said he understands the cold weather New Jersey sees in the winter and said that emphasizes the point that the state needs to "smash this thing back down."

"We'll do everything we can to make the outside experience as safe and as responsible as possible," Murphy said. "A few weeks ago, Dr. Fauci said New Jersey is well-positioned for a second wave. We started this surge in a good spot, and we have to get back to that spot."