Gov. Murphy Issues NJ Coronavirus Warning As State Backslides

NEW JERSEY — Gov. Phil Murphy said New Jersey has backslid now that the coronavirus rate of transmission has hit its highest level in 10 weeks. He made the statement Monday as he announced 216 new cases and 20 more deaths, which remain among the lowest daily numbers in the nation (you can watch it here, below).

The update comes as the number of cases has risen to 173,611, and 13,373 confirmed deaths have been reported. Read more: NJ Coronavirus, Reopen Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

Murphy also said he's planning to hit "pause" on reopening more parts of New Jersey since the state has backslid on controlling the virus.

Murphy said the rate of transmission exceeded 1.0 for the first time in 10 weeks, almost 20 percent higher than last week. The current rate is 1.03.

This means every new coronavirus case has led to at least one other case, showing an increasing rate of spread throughout the state.

"This is an early warning sign that, quite frankly, (means) we need to do more," he said.

Murphy said there were several outbreaks in New Jersey over the past week, and South Jersey communities and Jersey Shore towns have shown some of the highest increases over the past month. Read more: New List Shows Town-By-Town NJ Coronavirus Cases, Deaths, Spikes

Some bars in Jersey Shore towns have been violating social distancing rules, and they've been caught on video. Murphy noted those incidents to re-emphasize his point that everybody should wear a mask, especially indoors, if they are not around immediate family.

Murphy said an outbreak in Hoboken and one caused by a wedding in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, also led to outbreaks in North Jersey. Read more: New Data, Projections Show NJ Reopening's Impact On Coronavirus

"We need to be smarter, and we need to work harder," he said.

Murphy said New Jersey's travel advisory, which suggests that people who visited high-infection states should quarantine for 14 days, is "there for a reason," trying to compel people from states where the coronavirus outbreak is out of control to keep everybody else safe. Read more: NJ Expands Travel Quarantine To 8 More States Amid Coronavirus

Murphy said he doesn't believe that reopening New Jersey's economy has had much to do with the rise in the transmission rate. He said it points more to individual flare-ups, much of it caused by out-of-state travelers from "hot spots" such as Florida.

Murphy also said that reopening the state's beaches and the economy probably didn't contribute much to the rate-of-transmission increase. He said the problem is "an indoor reality," and that the disease spreads more easily when people are inside.

Murphy said he would like to reopen indoor dining and he has "nothing but sympathy for the small-business community." He made another plea for the federal government to provide direct cash assistance to those businesses.

Watch Murphy here:

New Jersey Coronavirus Updates: Don't miss local and statewide announcements about novel coronavirus precautions. Sign up for Patch alerts and daily newsletters.