N.J. Reaches Second Stage of Four-Step Reopening Strategy

(Bloomberg) -- New Jersey has entered the second stage of its four-step reopening plan, with outdoor dining and hair salons slated to start in mid-June, Governor Phil Murphy announced.

“We want our economy back,” but not recklessly, he said at a news briefing, warning that more virus cases were inevitable. He called his approach “common sense for the common good.”

The state's death toll from Covid-19 rose by 27 to 11,721, while new cases increased by 509 to 160,918, a 0.3% rise that was just half that of the prior seven-day average of 0.6%.

The state has seen an 81% drop in new hospitalizations since its peak in April. Hospitals have 43% of acute-care beds available, versus 24% at the peak. Intensive-care capacity, down to 15% during the virus' height, is now 46%. And “we are literally the top state in the nation” for per-capita testing, Murphy said.

In the second phase of the state's reopening, businesses whose workers can do their jobs from home should allow them to continue, he said. “Social distancing will continue to be the watchword of the day.”

Murphy cautioned that if cases spike, the state “would sadly look like what it looked like awhile ago,” with an order to return to broad business closings.

“This is the sort of virus that's going to come back at us,” Murphy said. It can be contained, he said, with widespread testing and contact tracing, which he said will be in place by June 15.

Edward Lifshitz, the state health department medical director, said spikes will happen, but the key is to “very quickly, circle around, isolate” people with the virus to prevent runaway spread.