New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said Thursday afternoon that based on guidance from the state commissioner of health, in an effort to contain the coronavirus, he is recommending the cancellation of all public gatherings throughout New Jersey of more than 250 people, including concerts, sporting events, and parades.

“These measures are being taken as part of our coordinated response to the continued outbreak and to aggressively mitigate the spread of the virus. Additionally, for all events, we recommend that everyone practice commonsense hygiene, like washing hands routinely, staying home if you do not feel well, and keeping a six-foot distance from others,” Murphy said.

“Our frontline efforts right now must be to aggressively mitigate the potential for exposure and further spread,” Murphy said. “We are taking this step because social distancing works. It is our best chance to ‘flatten the curve’ and mitigate the chance of rapid spread, so we can respond to this public health emergency in an even more focused manner.”