Gov. Phil Murphy has stressed two of the benchmarks for reopening New Jersey -- increased testing and contact tracing, and the governor has now laid out plans to start making it happen.

By the end of the month, Gov. Murphy hopes to have the state conducting 20,000 tests a day, and 25,000 tests by the end of June.

Utilizing mobile testing units and opening up testing sites at churches and mosques were among the strategies the governor discussed.

 

Murphy also spoke about the need to test the state's most vulnerable. All residents and staff at long-term care facilities are required to be tested by May 26. On top of that, facilities must update their outbreak prevention plans by next Tuesday.

Commissioner of Health Judy Persichilli spoke with White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx about the ongoing issue.

 

"She emphasized the need to test everyone cohort appropriately ensure infection prevention practices and continue limiting visitors, and screen and test employees on a regular basis," says Persichilli.

Another benchmark for reopening that the governor has talked about is contact tracing. The state is planning to hire at least 1,000 more people and create a Community Contract Tracing Corps. It will supplement the roughly 800 to 900 mostly county health officials who are currently tracing the contact that coronavirus-positive residents have had with others.