Authorities in the US’s New Jersey are reporting another 249 deaths associated with the coronavirus outbreak, bringing the state’s total to 5,863 lives lost in the pandemic.
Gov. Phil Murphy on Saturday called it “an extraordinary loss of life by any measure.”
“Just to put that in perspective … that is more than the lives lost from New Jersey in World War I, the Korean War and the Vietnam War combined,” the governor said.
Murphy also announced another 3,457 cases, bringing the total number of cases to 105,523, and called on residents to redouble their efforts to stem the spread of the disease.
“This is up to us and us alone,” the governor said. “The 5,863 who we have lost must be our inspiration so we do not lose another 5,863.”
Health commissioner Judith Persichilli said hospitalizations for COVID19 have decreased, and although the number of critical care patients has flattened but not decreased, the numbers requiring ventilators have dropped.
“Hospitalizations, however, are declining in the north, flattening in the central part of the region and actually are on a slight increase in the southern region,” she said.
– AP