New Jersey just hit some potholes on its road to recovery. Governor Phil Murphy announced on Monday that he’s putting the breaks on New Jersey’s reopening plan.
For the first time in 10 weeks, the state’s rate of transmission is above 1, said Murphy. That means that for every new confirmed case of COVID-19, that person is leading to at least one other new person being infected.
IMPORTANT: Our rate of transmission – the rate at which #COVID19 spreads from one person to another – exceeds 1.0 for the FIRST TIME in 10 weeks.
— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) July 6, 2020
For every new case of COVID-19 we’re seeing, that case is leading to AT LEAST one other new case. We need to do more. pic.twitter.com/OEJVlt369z
Governor Murphy didn’t announce any closures or stay-at-home orders. Instead, this temporary pause means that gyms, indoor dining, and enclosed public spaces like movie theaters must remain closed until further notice.
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State officials say the reason behind New Jersey’s rate of transmission increase is due to more indoor businesses reopening. Health officials also believe that residents have inadvertently brought COVID-19 back to the Garden State after traveling to states where coronavirus is spiking, such as Florida and North Carolina.
Just a few weeks ago, non-profit COVID Act Now released a report saying New Jersey was one of only a handful of states on track to contain COVID-19. Unfortunately, the latest rise in transmission has put the state back in the “controlled disease growth” category. (Only Vermont and Connecticut remain in the green).
On Monday, the state permitted the reopening of summer camps, youth activities, and outdoor graduation ceremonies. NJ Transit also resumed its full weekday schedule.
