Back in Trenton after traveling earlier today to Washington, D.C. to sit in the Oval Office with President Donald J. Trump, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy reported on some COVID-19 assistance to New Jersey offered by the White House.

“It was a very good and productive conversation,” the New Jersey Governor said of his sit-down with Trump.

The White House guaranteed 550,000 new test kits, and 750,000 swabs.

“This is an overall boost to our testing capacity,” said Murphy, who expressed gratitude to the president and his team.

He noted in addition that 358 nursing homes will recieve a direct shipment of personal protective equipment (PPE).

The assistance falls short of the $20 to $30 billion Murphy asked for in his meeting today with the president.

“I told them federal funding for every state ravaged by COVID-19 is vital,” Murphy said.

He then turned to today’s COVID-19 numbers: 2,633 new cases and 460 deaths, bringing the statewide COVID-19 death total to 7,228. “They were real people who accomplished great things, and it is for them that we will continue this fight and we will win this fight,” the governor said in reference to those fatalities processed by the state in the last 24 hours.

It wasn’t all grim.

The virus is breaking.

“The rate of new cases continues slowing,” Murphy said. “That’s good news.”

New hospitalizations have dropped by 15%.

Ventilator use is at its lowest aince April 4th.