NJ Adding Uncounted COVID-19 Deaths; Toll To 'Significantly' Rise

NEW JERSEY – Gov. Phil Murphy, speaking during a Friday news conference, there were deaths have "not been counted," so New Jersey should expect the fatality toll to soon "significantly" rise.

Murphy also reminded New Jersey on Friday that hair salons, barber shops and organized sports will restart on Monday. He made the statements as he announced 516 more coronavirus cases and 37 more deaths (you can watch it here, below).

Murphy said the state knows there are many who have died throughout this pandemic who have not been counted officially among New Jersey's COVID-19 related fatalties.

This could have occurred for a number of reasons, Murphy said, including the fact that many New Jerseyans who passed away never received coronavirus test "even though the underlying symptoms and causes of death point to the fact that an individual did, in fact, have COVID-19."

Murphy said Edward Lifshitz, medical director for the state Department of Health, and his office have been analzying thousands of death certificates to identify those residents whose passing can, with a high degree of certainty, now be attributed to complications from the coronavirus.

Murphy said that, beginning next week, these residents will recognized alongside the confirmed COVID-19 losses "and as we do this, it will increase our overall toll significantly."

"We do this with no sense of pride but with a sense of duty and closure and we must," Murphy said.

The update comes as the number of cases rose to 168,496 in New Jersey and 12,835 have died. Read more: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

As the coronavirus continues to impact the Garden State, New Jersey has issued a strict set of guidelines for hair salons and barber shops to resume operations. Read more: Here's What Your Next Haircut Will Be Like Amid NJ Coronavirus

Murphy, however, pointed to statistics on Friday that showed how progress in New Jersey has allowed for more reopenings.

Murphy has been releasing "hard dates" and more specifics on New Jersey's plans to reopen its economy, schools, daycare, summer camps and public transit during the coronavirus crisis. And he was expected to provide more details over the course of June. Read more: Gov. Murphy: 'Hard Dates' In NJ Coronavirus Reopening Blueprint

Murphy also said he's nearly ready to provide a list of rules and guidelines that would allow New Jersey students to return to school in the fall. He provided a glimpse into what the future may hold when he released a roadmap for reopening colleges this week. Read more: NJ To Issue Back-To-School Rules As Full College Plan Released

Watch Murphy here:

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