New Jersey COVID-19 casese climb to 50, up from 29

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — The number of positive cases of COVID-19 in New Jersey has climbed to 50, up from 29, Gov. Phil Murphy said Friday.

The development came during the state government's daily briefing at a state police facility in Ewing. The 21 positive cases amount to the biggest jump since the first positive test last week.

Murphy also said that the state is preparing for closing schools statewide, though he stopped short of taking that step. He said it's a matter of when, not if, they close. State Education Commissioner Lamont Repollet said some 354 districts, or roughly half, in the state have closed already.

Murphy also announced that new equipment, including surgical masks and respirators, are expected to arrive from the federal government soon.

Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli did not give many details about the new cases.

For most people, the virus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.

The vast majority of people recover. According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover.

A closer look at the latest developments:

LEGISLATION PENDING

New Jersey lawmakers have set votes on legislation aimed at helping residents deal with the pandemic, as well as altering their own schedules.

The Democrat-led Assembly canceled committee hearings except for one that will consider the coronavirus legislation. The full Assembly is also planning to vote on the legislation once it emerges from committee. The Democrat-led Senate is holding hearings Monday but said the meetings would be closed to the public.

Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin and Republican leader Jon Bramnick announced bipartisan legislation Thursday that includes measures to permit remote or virtual classroom learning to count toward the 180-day school year requirement. Other bills are aimed at ensuring that free and reduced lunches continue if schools are closed; requiring insurers to cover COVID-19 testing, setting aside funds for schools to reimburse for the cost of cleaning; and ensuring that no workers are fired as a result of being quarantined.

The announcements came as New Jersey and other states ramp up mitigation efforts, including the closure of schools, to confront the new virus that emerged in China late last year.

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ARCHDIOCESE SHUTTERS

Cardinal Joseph Tobin, the archbishop of Newark, said the Roman Catholic Church there is freeing people from the religious obligation to attend Mass until further notice. The archdiocese's schools will also be closed until March 20, the cardinal said.

Churches will remain open, and Mass will continue to take place, however, he added.

He also said weddings, baptisms and funerals will still take place but urged people to limit the number of people attending.

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PUBLIC SCHOOLS

The state Education Department says 207 of the state's more than 600 school districts have closures. Most are for teacher training, but a handful are because of confirmed or possible exposure to the corona virus.

Nine schools have had possible exposure to the virus, according to a department tally. Three have had closed because of the exposure to someone who had the virus. One school district closed because a student had tested positive.

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