COVID-19: ‘Unfathomable’ death toll in New Jersey

TRENTON — In another day of data that indicates New Jersey is “generally seeing the numbers we need to see,” the state has 603 new coronavirus cases, Gov. Phil Murphy said Thursday.

The new figures bring New Jersey’s COVID-19 tally to 162,530, keeping New Jersey firmly in the second spot in terms of coronavirus caseloads throughout the country. Only New York — with an estimated 375,133 cases — has more; New Jersey is followed by Illinois, with 123,830 cases, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

Murphy on Thursday reported 92 new fatalities, bringing the death toll to 11,970.

“We are closing in on 12,000 lives lost in New Jersey,” Murphy said at his daily news conference. “This is practically an unfathomable number.”

New Jersey also holds the country’s second spot in total fatalities. New York has more than 30,019 deaths while Massachusetts has 7,152, the Johns Hopkins data shows. Nationwide there were 107,474 deaths as of Thursday afternoon, according to the university.

In Burlington County there are now 4,725 cases and 307 coronavirus related deaths, state data shows.

Many of the cases and most of the fatalities are associated with long-term care facilities.

Among the county’s fatalities, 249 — or 81% — are associated with a nursing home, assisted living facility, or care facility for the developmentally disabled. Four of the deaths were staff and 245 were residents, according to the state Department of Health.

Data shows 1,988 Burlington County cases are associated with care facilities, including 1,305 resident cases and 683 staff cases.

County data shows Willingboro has the highest caseload, with 582 coronavirus cases as of Wednesday, while Burlington Township has the highest death toll. The vast majority of the township’s 62 deaths are associated with a long-term care facility, county and state data show.