Officials: NJ coronavirus cases climb to 267, Army Corps may build makeshift hospitals, record number of residents file for unemployment

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy told reporters in a press briefing on Tuesday afternoon that 267 residents in the state have tested positive for the coronavirus, an increase of 89 people since Monday afternoon. A third New Jersey resident from Bergen County died as a result of complications from the coronavirus on Monday.

These are only the cases that have been reported to the state. There is a lag in data because commercial labs report results to local health officers, who then report the results to the state. Also, many people may be positive and have little or no symptoms. Right now because of testing capacity issues, state policies dictate that only healthcare workers, people who have been hospitalized because of the severity of their symptoms, and people connected with known New Jersey clusters with certain symptoms are being tested.

Many readers have reported to Planet Princeton that they have been denied tests even though they have symptoms or just returned from abroad and have symptoms. The state is trying to ramp up the capacity for testing by opening a testing center in each county and two FEMA drive-through testing centers in Bergen and Monmouth counties. Officials hope at least one of the FEMA testing sites will be open by the end of the week. The Monmouth County site will be located at the PNC Arts Center in Holmdel. People will need authorization from doctors to get tested.

Murphy told reporters the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is willing to set up makeshift hospitals to respond to the crisis. “It’s a prudent move to alleviate the strain on our hospitals to cope with this emergency,” he said. “We need to flatten the curve, and make sure we have on a belt and suspenders just in case.”

New Jersey Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli said that about 55 percent of the patients in the positive cases the state has confirmed are hospitalized. That number will change as the state sees large numbers of new cases each day, she said. The number of cases is expected to rise sharply as testing capacity increases and more people are able to get tested.

“Over the past few days, New Jersey has seen a significant increase in the volume of cases concentrated in the northeastern portion of the state. And then there are some that do not have any linkages. This is an indication that community transmission is occurring. The risk of contracting COVID-19 is likely higher than it is in areas of the state where cases are still limited. However, the risk till remains low when you follow proactive measures including social distancing respiratory etiquette and hand hygiene,” Persichilli said.

“The public health threat is high, both globally in the United States and now in New Jersey. The individual risk is dependent on exposure,” Persichilli said. “Under certain circumstances as we begin to see increased community spread, certain people will have an increased risk of infection, for example, people in communities where the ongoing spread of the virus has been reported at elevated levels, yet the overall risk of exposure still remains relatively low.”

Persichilli said healthcare workers caring for patients with COVID-19 are at an elevated risk of exposure. Close contacts of a person with COVID-19 are also at risk of higher exposure. Travelers returning from affected international locations where community spread is occurring are also at elevated risk of having been exposed.

“As cases increase, we know the pressure on the hospital system grows exponentially. We have been working closely with hospitals since January to prepare for a surge related to COVID 19. In collaboration with the New Jersey Hospital Association, we are surveying hospitals to get information about the resources they need,” Persichilli said.

Persichilli said the state is also looking at expanding hospital capacity by re-opening eight acute care hospitals that are closed. “We are also working with hospitals that have departments or wings closed to convert the wings to negative pressure,” she said. “We can add 185 rooms if we do that.”

Murphy stepped up the restrictions he announced Monday, and ordered the closure of all indoor shopping malls and amusement parts as of 8 p.m. Tuesday, until further notice. Restaurants attached to malls can remain open for take-out and delivery if they have separate entrances. All other retail operators may remain open until 8 p.m. daily if the retailers abide by social distancing guidelines. Essential businesses like grocery stores and pharmacies are allowed to stay open after 8 p.m. State officials recommend that residents stay home when possible, but especially between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. A curfew has not been implemented.

Murphy said all state rules and regulations override local and county restrictions. He said municipalities and counties should coordinate with the state to be on the same page.

A record number of unemployment insurance applications were received in one day on Monday, Murphy said. The website for applying crashed because of all of the people trying to apply online. “For residents out of work, help is available,” Murphy said. “In all likelihood, you will be eligible to receive full or partial unemployment insurance for however long you are out of work or working fewer hours.”