Confronted with the daily dirge of a frightening and deadly virus, Governor Phil Murphy on Saturday sought broader context to the numbers to prove the effectiveness of social distancing.

In 24 hours, the state processed 3,026 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number to 81,420.

New Jersey suffered the loss of 231 lives to the virus, bringing the statewide total to 4,070, or more than the mortalities sustained in this state during the past three flu seasons combined.

“It’s a number that takes your breath away,” said Murphy.

He reported 7,718 residents hospitalized, 2,024 of them in critical or intensive care, 1641 of them on ventilators, and 90 in field hospitals.

He also reported 814 hospital discharges.

But, and here’s where he wanted to underscore what he insists is good news – or at least a trend portending a good outcome after all the devastation.

“We’re now reporting more people leaving the hospital than entering,” the governor said. “Please God, it stays that way.”

He demonstrated a graph ploting the rate of growth over 21 days (pictured above).

“As you can see, we are flattening the curve,” said Murphy, which he attributed to aggressive social distancing measures.

“So far, so good, we just can’t let up,” the governor added. “We have to stay at it.”

He was hopeful, based on the numbers. But “We’re at least a year away from a vaccine for COVID-19 and there are no proven therapeutics,” Murphy said. “I beg you to open your eyes to science.”

He also worried about a lot more people infected with COVID-19 than reported who are asymptomatic, and who continue to pose a risk.

He touched grimly on the state’s financial situation as a consequence of COVID-19, and following what he descibed as a dispiriting phone call with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer.

Short of a significant cash influx, there are lay-offs at stake in big, big numbers, the governor said.

“We need both direct financial assistance to states from a bill passed by congress and signed by the president and we will need bonding flexibility in either case,” Murphy said. “I plead with people on both sides of the aisle to please get to that reality sooner ratheer than later.”

In response to a Trenton protest this week, the governnor said, “With all due respect, anybody who thinks we’re doing this to take away people’s liberties and rights isn’t looking at the data we’re looing at. We’re doing what we can do to save lives.”