In a news conference yesterday, NJ Governor Phil Murphy asked all residents to avoid all travel during the holidays, unless it is for emergency reasons.
Anyone returning home to NJ must quarantine for 14 days, as per the NJ travel advisory.
Murphy said, “No one should be traveling out of state for anything beyond that which is essential for your daily life - communing to work or seeking medical treatment.”
With the surge of Coronavirus cases hitting the Garden State hard, the state reported 4,350 new cases on Wednesday, showing a 13.7 percent positivity rate. In the past week, the cases seven day-average hit 4,050, doubling the number of cases from one month ago.
In total, almost 3,300 Coronavirus patients are hospitalized in New Jersey, which is twice as more than on November 1.
Two-thirds of all hospital beds are now full, and experts are warning there will not be enough beds to accommodate enough patients in about a month if the surge trend continues.
Governor Murphy also requested anyone attending a Thanksgiving dinner outside their own home should immediately get a Covid-19 test, since there is over a 90 percent chance they have been exposed. He said a surge due to Thanksgiving is a “significant concern” but that it’s too soon to review numbers of new cases due to the holiday.
Outdoor gatherings have been reduced from 150 to 25 people, except for special provisions for weddings, funerals, memorial services and political activities.
Due to the recent indoor hockey game where over a 100 were infected with Coronavirus, the governor also suspended all indoor sporting activities.
As per the expected date for the vaccine to become available for the general public, he said it should be in April or May.
