A travel advisory that included a majority of the United States is no more. This is because Gov. Phil Murphy is “strongly discouraging” all non-essential interstate travel.
The governor says that anyone returning from beyond the immediate area should quarantine. That region includes New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.
State health officials announced that New Jersey has seen its worst COVID-19 data in the last six months. There were 4,073 new cases of the virus confirmed on Wednesday, along with 50 additional deaths. The statewide death toll now stands at 15,057.
Hospitalization numbers also increased, according to officials. There was a jump overnight from 116 patients to 2,901. There are 545 COVID-19 patients in the ICU and 281 on ventilators.
Passaic County had the most number of new cases on Wednesday, with 432. Bergen County was next with 387.
But despite the increased numbers, the rate of transmission has ticked down again to 1.24.
Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is considering a shorter quarantine period for people who may have been exposed to the coronavirus, with medical experts supporting the idea. They say relaxed guidelines would be easier for the public to follow.
The current recommended quarantine period is two weeks, but a 7-10-day quarantine is now under consideration.