Gov. Murphy: Closing NJ Schools 'Inevitable,' Cases Nearly Double

NEW JERSEY — Closing all New Jersey schools is "inevitable" because of the new coronavirus outbreak, which would shift student learning to home, Gov. Phil Murphy announced Friday. (You can watch the press conference below.)

Murphy planned to update the school situation at 2 p.m. on Saturday. Check back for details.

The number of statewide cases also nearly doubled on Friday, from 29 to 50, he said. See the county-by-county breakdown below.

Read more: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

The NJ Motor Vehicle Commission also extended expiration dates for driver licenses, registrations and inspection stickers. Read more: NJ Driver's License Changes Because Of Coronavirus Outbreak

Murphy said the statewide school shutdown will happen "in a matter of days" and that New Jersey needs to be fully prepared for it. Read more: Coronavirus NJ School Closures: Here's The Latest (UPDATE)

"The watch word is: Do this responsibly," he said. "I can't give you an exact date but my best guess is a matter of days. We don't want to do this and, oh my God, react to unintended consequences."

Murphy said a number of students need to prepare for distance learning, and perhaps as many as 260,000 of the 1.4 million in the state still need to access online classroom materials, he said. "We need to mitigate the impacts," he said.

The state needs to prepare because "inevitably" every district may closed "for a long period of time."

"We will be guided by our health needs," he said.

Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said 80 possible cases are under investigation and the 21 new presumptive positive cases are in 10 counties. The volume of activity is "so high," she said, so she didn't provide more specific information.

The new cases are in the following counties: 3 in Monmouth, 2 in Essex, 1 in Ocean, 1 in Mercer, 1 in Burlington, 2 in Morris, 2 in Bergen, 2 in Hudson, 1 in Passaic and 2 in Middlesex.

A number of New Jersey's colleges have also shifted to distance learning already. Read more: Coronavirus NJ School/College Closures: Here's The Latest (UPDATED)

The announcement was made during the 2 p.m. press conference. You can watch it here:

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

Here's what else you should know:

• State health officials said they believe the virus is "community-spread" in New Jersey. "Community-spread indicates that the coronavirus is amongst us," Persichilli announced. Read more: Coronavirus May Be 'Community-Spread' In NJ
• Schools and colleges across the state continued to cancel classes, move classes online and prepare for an outbreak that could get worse. Read more: Coronavirus NJ School Closures: Here's The Latest (UPDATE)
• Murphy has declared a state of emergency, which allows his administration to expand its powers to treat the illness. Read more: NJ Gov. Murphy Declares State Of Emergency Because Of Coronavirus
• The first person in New Jersey to die of the coronavirus was reported on Tuesday, March 10. Read more: First NJ Coronavirus Death, 4 New Cases: Governor
• State health officials have issued a long list of coronavirus outbreak guidelines for New Jersey schools and colleges now that the number of cases continues to climb in the United States and across the Garden State. Read more: NJ Issues New Coronavirus Guidelines For Schools, Colleges (UPDATE)
• New Jersey's courts suspended all new jury trials until further notice, Chief Justice Stuart Rabner said on Thursday, March 12. Read more: Coronavirus Throws Monkey Wrench Into New Jersey Court System
• Compiled by Johns Hopkins University, this interactive map lets you track confirmed coronavirus cases in real time. Read more: Coronavirus Tracker: Latest Numbers In New Jersey
• Bayer has closed their Morristown and Whippany locations until further notice. Read more: Pharmaceutical Giant Closes NJ Offices Amidst Coronavirus Concern
• Murphy recommended on Thursday, March 12 that gatherings of 250 people or more should be canceled. Read more: Gov. Murphy: NJ Should Cancel Large Gatherings Due To Coronavirus
• Hospitals also issued additional restrictions to visitors. Read more: New Hospital Restrictions In NJ Coronavirus Outbreak

How It Spreads

The virus that causes COVID-19 is spreading from person-to-person. Someone who is actively sick with COVID-19 can spread the illness to others. That is why CDC recommends that these patients be isolated either in the hospital or at home (depending on how sick they are) until they are better and no longer pose a risk of infecting others.

There is currently no vaccine for COVID-19.

While the best way to prevent illness is to avoid virus exposure, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention always recommends taking preventive actions to contain the spread of viruses. This includes:

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipes.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.

This is a developing story. Patch will have more information as it comes in.