Murphy extends public health emergency amid weeks of record-COVID surges

Gov. Phil Murphy on Dec. 21st extended the state’s public health emergency for the 10th time during the pandemic as the state is in the midst of a second wave of COVID-19.
The executive order lasts 30 days, and would expire after that time period ends if it is not renewed.
“Given where we are currently we must remain in a proper footing where (state officials) can have the authority to continue responding to the challenges posed by the pandemic,” Murphy said at a COVID-19 press briefing Monday afternoon in Trenton.
With these orders in place, Murphy is able to extend a litany of restrictions on business and public gatherings in a bid to reverse the recent surge of the virus.
As signs of the second wave became evident in November, those orders were tightened to prohibit restaurants from offering indoor dining past 10 p.m., and limiting private indoor gatherings to 10 people.
While Murphy has assured he would not, at least for now, introduce new restrictions, he’s said he would not loosen them, like expanding indoor dining capacity beyond 25% or retail capacity beyond 50%.
On Monday, New Jersey's rate of transmission fell below 1 for the first time in months, meaning the virus is not spreading. And metrics like daily new cases and hospitalizations have flattened in the past week.
There were 3,607 COVID-19 hospitalizations as of Dec. 21, and 3,186 new cases. There were 727 intensive care unit patients and 481 on ventilators, and the state logged 29 more fatalities.
“Each day we see any decline is promising, but days like today where we see those gains reversed reminds us of how far from done this virus is with us,” Murphy added.
The state introduced its first-ever Pfizer COVID vaccine to a University Hospital nurse last week, and dozens of acute-care hospitals are slated to get hundreds of thousands of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine doses.
Also, last week, the New Jersey Department of Health announced six COVID-19 vaccine “mega sites,” from which dozens of smaller offices will be administering the vaccine.
They are the Atlantic City Convention Center; the Meadowlands Racetrack in East Rutherford; the Moorestown Mall in Burlington County, the Rowan College of South Jersey in Sewell; the New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center in Edison; and Rockaway Townsquare in Morris County.
Over the weekend, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that frontline health care workers and those above the age of 75 should be prioritized for the shot. State health officials say they are aiming to get thousands of doses in the coming weeks to health care workers, as well as residents at long-term care centers, such as senior homes.
Because of federal hiccups in the Pfizer supply chain, New Jersey will get roughly 100,000 fewer COVID-19 vaccines this month, according to New Jersey Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli.
“If we can do this, and we can push ourselves through our pandemic fatigue and into 2021, when our vaccine program will be taking off, hopefully by this time next year we can once again plan for the big get-togethers,” the governor said, pointing to the potential upcoming holiday gatherings which he warned against.