Gov. Murphy: NJ Schools Shut Through May 15 In Coronavirus Crisis

NEW JERSEY – Gov. Phil Murphy, speaking during a Thursday press conference, said schools will remain shut through May 15 as he announced that the Garden State has 4,391 new coronavirus cases and 362 more deaths (you can watch it here, below).

Murphy, resisting the urge to either reopen immediately or close for the rest of the school year, said he made the call after "careful consultation" with health and education officials.

"There is no one who wants to reopen schools more than I do, he said, adding: "We cannot be guided emotion. We have to be guided by the facts on the ground.

Murphy said he determined it will not be safe to reopen schools or restart sports for another four weeks.

"I hope it I will be put in a position a month from now to make a different decision," Murphy said.

Murphy said 75,317 New Jerseyans have now been diagnosed with the coronavirus, and 3,518 have died – more than the state's death toll from World War I. Read more: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

The press confererence comes after more than a dozen bodies were removed from the Andover Subacute & Rehab Center Two, which has been impacted heavily by the coronavirus, reports say. Read more: 17 Bodies At NJ Nursing Home Hit Hard By Coronavirus: Reports

As of Thursday, 8,224 people are hospitalized, and 2,014 require critical or intensive care and 1,645 ventilators are in use in New Jersey, Murphy said. On Wednesday, 802 residents were discharged.

Murphy also paid tribute to those who died, saying "social distancing doesn’t seem so much of an inconvenience if it means that we don’t have to keep mourning so many blessed souls:"

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

Watch Murphy here:

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Here's what else you should know:

• Murphy issued a stay-at-home order, closing all non-essential business at 9 p.m. Saturday, March 21. Read more: Gov. Murphy Announces NJ 'Stay-At-Home' Order Due To Coronavirus
• On Monday, March 16, Murphy announced that all schools would close on Tuesday, March 17. Read more: NJ Schools Will Close Due To Coronavirus Outbreak: Gov. Murphy
• Murphy ordered stores across New Jersey on Wednesday, April 8 to require shoppers to wear face coverings or masks. Here's how you can get yours, and how the new rule will be enforced. Read more: NJ Shoppers Must Wear Masks: Where To Get Them, How It's Enforced
• Here are 10 resources for you and your family to utilize as you navigate through the outbreak: Unemployment, Tests, Food: 10 NJ Resources In Coronavirus Crisis
• 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
• Murphy said during a live press conference on Wednesday, March 25 that he's ordering many day care centers to shut amid the coronavirus outbreak. Read more: Gov. Murphy To Shut Many Day Care Centers Amid Coronavirus Crisis
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a travel advisory for New Jersey. Read more: CDC Travel Advisory For NJ: No Coronavirus Travel Ban From Trump
• New Jersey residents are expected to start receiving stimulus payments soon. Here's what you need to do beforehand. Read more: Coronavirus Economic Stimulus Payments: What You Need To Do In NJ
• On Friday, March 27, Murphy allowed more types of New Jersey businesses – including gun sellers – to operate in the coronavirus outbreak. What's open and closed now? Read more: What's Open, Closed? More NJ Business To Operate Amid Coronavirus
• Murphy announced on Tuesday, April 7 that state and county parks will close. Read more: Gov. Murphy Closes Parks On NJ Coronavirus Crisis's Deadliest Day
• Here are four urgent tasks New Jersey wants you to do during the coronavirus outbreak, including wearing a mask. And here's why. Read more: Wear A Mask! 4 Things NJ Wants You To Do In 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.