Gov. Phil Murphy has run out of patience for a certain selection of the population that refuses to wear masks during the pandemic.

Murphy said Thursday that the state has seen over 10,000 new COVID-19 infections since Monday. He says that people who politicize mask-wearing are putting others’ lives at risk.

“You know what’s really uncomfortable and annoying? When you die,” Murphy said.

Murphy said that wearing masks when out in public and around others is one of the ways to slow the spread of the virus, which has claimed 14,694 lives in New Jersey since March.

“The inconvenience associated with not wearing a mask or not wearing it properly - I speak to families almost every single day, some days multiple families who've lost a loved one. I'd love someone who's jerking around by not wearing a mask and making it political to speak to some of these families I speak to,” Murphy said.

State health officials announced 3,517 new cases of the virus on Wednesday, along with 18 additional deaths. There are currently 1,827 COVID-19 patients in the hospital – a number not seen since June 5. The rate of transmission in the state ticked up to 1.30.

State Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said that if social distancing and mask guidelines are not followed, the state could face a coronavirus wave as bad as the one this past spring.