NJ Extends COVID Public Health Emergency, Citing Ongoing 'Threat'

NEW JERSEY — Citing the continued threat from the COVID-19 crisis in New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy has announced that the public health emergency initiated a year ago has again been extended another 30 days.

Murphy said late Thursday that the Department of Health's handling of the continued high rate of new cases while also expanding vaccine distribution has necessitated the need to extend the public emergency.

Indeed, the number of new daily cases continues to remain high, though the numbers have fallen slightly since January (see daily case and fatality totals below).

“Our vaccination program is expanding vigorously and quickly, but COVID-19 remains a threat to New Jerseyans,” said Murphy. “As we move to extend vaccine eligibility to all residents of our state, the need for all available resources could not be more important."

The expansion continues on Monday, when anyone 16 and older can sign up to get the vaccine. Read more: Where To Get The Coronavirus Vaccine In New Jersey

The emergency declaration means the state will continue to have the authority to order new shutdowns and take similar extraordinary acts if the virus resurges, as it has done in other states.

Murphy has said that he's not immediately ready to allow more reopenings or capacity expansions as long as New Jersey's cases remain high and the spread of COVID-19 virus variants continues. New Jersey now has more than 1,100 cases of the faster-spreading, potentially more harmful variants. Read more: NJ Warns Against 'Panic' Over COVID Vaccines, Rising Cases

On Wednesday, Murphy announced that the positivity rate is up 3 percentage points since Monday, increasing from 8.39 percent to 11.04 percent. Indeed, the latest data released from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows New Jersey wedged inside a new COVID-19 hot zone. Read more: NJ In New CDC Coronavirus Hot Zone: 2nd Highest Case Rate In U.S.

A new report says New Jersey is the third least safe state amid COVID19, and it ranks low in several categories. Here's why. Read more: NJ Is 3rd Least Safe State During COVID, Report Says: Here's Why

Hospitalizations also have ticked up in recent weeks.

Executive Order No. 235 extends all executive orders issued under the governor's authority under the Emergency Health Powers Act. It also extends all actions taken by any executive branch departments and agencies in response to the public health emergency presented by the COVID-19 outbreak.

The health emergency was first declared on March 9, 2020, and it was previously extended in 2020 on April 7, May 6, June 4, July 2, Aug. 1, Aug. 27, Sept. 25, Oct. 24, Nov. 22 and Dec. 21, and again in 2021 on Jan. 19, Feb. 17 and March 17.

Under the Emergency Health Powers Act, a declared public health emergency expires after 30 days unless renewed.

Here are the daily cases and fatalities since November:

Cases by day:

• April 15: 3,411
• April 14: 2,828
• April 13: 3,466
• April 12: 2,079
• April 11: 2,897
• April 10: 2,993
• April 9: 3,523
• April 8: 3,758
• April 7: 3,578
• April 6: 3,382
• April 5: 2,471
• April 4: 3,284
• April 3: 3,525
• April 2: 3,972
• April 1: 4,699
• March 31: 4,586
• March 30: 4,371
• March 29: 3,174
• March 28: 3,927
• March 27: 3,968
• March 26: 4,339
• March 25: 3,469
• March 24: 3,227
• March 23: 3,429
• March 22: 2,608
• March 21: 2,599
• March 20: 3,940
• March 19: 3,738
• March 18: 3,830
• March 17: 3,590
• March 16: 3,141
• March 15: 2,468
• March 14: 2,800
• March 13: 3,264
• March 12: 3,544
• March 11: 3,208
• March 10: 3,047
• March 9: 3,434
• March 8: 2,201
• March 7: 2,077
• March 6: 3,015
• March 5: 3,347
• March 4: 2,605
• March 3: 3,857
• March 2: 2,820
• March 1: 2,668
• February 28: 2,171
• February 27: 3,641
• February 26: 3,149
• February 25: 3,079
• February 24: 2,661
• February 23: 2,516
• February 22: 2,165
• February 21: 1,814
• February 20: 2,671
• February 19: 2,679
• February 18: 2,746
• February 17: 3,786
• February 16: 3,144
• February 15: 1,222
• February 14: 1,798
• February 13: 3,411
• February 12: 3,285
• February 11: 3,012
• February 10: 3,740
• February 9: 3,164
• February 8: 2,218
• February 7: 3,938
• February 6: 3,783
• February 5: 3,723
• February 4: 2,503
• February 3: 2,021
• February 2: 2,811
• February 1: 3,114
• January 31: 3,823
• January 30: 4,626
• January 29: 5,023
• January 28: 3,962
• January 27: 3,950
• January 26: 4,117
• January 25: 3,694
• January 24: 4,613
• January 23: 6,115
• January 22: 3,694
• January 21: 4,095
• January 20: 4,582
• January 19: 3,761
• January 18: 3,511
• January 17: 4,686
• January 16: 5,246
• January 15: 5,490
• January 14: 5,967
• January 13: 6,922
• January 12: 4,219
• January 11: 5,042
• January 10: 5,032
• January 9: 6,435
• January 8: 5,791
• January 7: 6,314
• January 6: 5,028
• January 5: 5,400
• January 4: 2,292
• January 3: 3,676
• January 2: 5,528
• January 1: 5,541
• December 31: 5,107
• December 30: 4,664
• December 29: 3,675
• December 28: 2,745
• December 27: 2,329
• December 26: 4,000
• December 25: 5,095
• December 24: 4,871
• December 23: 4,919
• December 22: 4,686
• December 21: 3,186
• December 20: 5,184
• December 19: 4,240
• December 18: 3,975
• December 17: 4,319
• December 16: 5,803
• December 15: 4,111
• December 14: 4,805
• December 13: 4,170
• December 12: 6,247
• December 11: 3,821
• December 10: 5,370
• December 9: 4.665
• December 8: 5,820
• December 7: 3,573
• December 6: 6,046
• December 5: 5,367
• December 4: 5,673
• December 3: 4,913
• December 2: 4,350
• December 1: 4,661
• November 30: 3,199
• November 29: 3,851
• November 28: 3,924
• November 27: 4,100
• November 26: 4,565
• November 25: 4,073
• November 24: 4,383
• November 23: 3,592
• November 22: 3,998
• November 21: 4,679
• November 20: 3,635
• November 19: 4,320
• November 18: 4,063
• November 17: 4,060
• November 16: 2,232
• November 15: 4,540
• November 14: 4,395
• November 13: 3,399
• November 12: 3,517
• November 11: 3,078
• November 10: 3,877
• November 9: 2,075
• November 8: 2,043
• November 7: 3,207
• November 6: 2,199
• November 5: 2,104
• November 4: 2,472
• November 3: 1,832
• November 2: 1,379
• November 1: 1,751

Coronavirus deaths by day:

• April 15: 47
• April 14: 43
• April 13: 49
• April 12: 27
• April 11: 14
• April 10: 33
• April 9: 43
• April 8: 35
• April 7: 45
• April 6: 53
• April 5: 15
• April 4: 11
• April 3: 24
• April 2: 26
• April 1: 30
• March 31: 44
• March 30: 61
• March 29: 16
• March 28: 16
• March 27: 30
• March 26: 28
• March 25: 38
• March 24: 28
• March 23: 61
• March 22: 28
• March 21: 40
• March 20: 31
• March 19: 27
• March 18: 31
• March 17: 38
• March 16: 41
• March 15: 23
• March 14: 15
• March 13: 36
• March 12: 40
• March 11: 46
• March 10: 56
• March 9: 46
• March 8: 20
• March 7: 17
• March 6: 37
• March 5: 35
• March 4: 42
• March 3: 63
• March 2: 48
• March 1: 21
• February 28: 15
• February 27: 49
• February 26: 46
• February 25: 70
• February 24: 57
• February 23: 104
• February 22: 17
• February 21: 25
• February 20: 51
• February 19: 64
• February 18: 89
• February 17: 92
• February 16: 31
• February 15: 14
• February 14: 15
• February 13: 47
• February 12: 64
• February 11: 79
• February 10: 88
• February 9: 92
• February 8: 25
• February 7: 26
• February 6: 78
• February 5: 93
• February 4: 101
• February 3: 52
• February 2: 71
• February 1: 34
• January 31: 29
• January 30: 74
• January 29: 83
• January 28: 82
• January 27: 107
• January 26: 133
• January 25: 21
• January 24: 17
• January 23: 63
• January 22: 118
• January 21: 98
• January 20: 122
• January 19: 54
• January 18: 23
• January 17: 26
• January 16: 96
• January 15: 67
• January 14: 94
• January 13: 95
• January 12: 108
• January 11: 51
• January 10: 32
• January 9: 102
• January 8: 112
• January 7: 123
• January 6: 104
• January 5: 138
• January 4: 38
• January 3: 21
• January 2: 27
• January 1: 119
• December 31: 90
• December 30: 99
• December 29: 127
• December 28: 21
• December 27: 20
• December 26: 19
• December 25: 51
• December 24: 80
• December 23: 103
• December 22: 104
• December 21: 29
• December 20: 21
• December 19: 49
• December 18: 44
• December 17: 77
• December 16: 91
• December 15: 97
• December 14: 25
• December 13: 24
• December 12: 71
• December 11: 55
• December 10: 68
• December 9: 91
• December 8: 90
• December 7: 17
• December 6: 15
• December 5: 53
• December 4: 48
• December 3: 64
• December 2: 56
• December 1: 90
• November 30: 15
• November 29: 13
• November 28: 24
• November 27: 19
• November 26: 39
• November 25: 50
• November 24: 48
• November 23: 11
• November 22: 15
• November 21: 34
• November 20: 23
• November 19: 34
• November 18: 27
• November 17: 38
• November 16: 14
• November 15: 18
• November 14: 26
• November 13: 28
• November 12: 18
• November 11: 15
• November 10: 21
• November 9: 11
• November 8: 4
• November 7: 11
• November 6: 13
• November 5: 12
• November 4: 9
• November 3: 18
• November 2: 3
• November 1: 4