An increase in restaurant capacity won’t come quick enough for St. Patrick’s Day, but for those who care about such things, it will be just in time for St. Joseph’s Day.

Gov. Phil Murphy said today that indoor capacity at restaurants and many other venues – barber shops, salons and amusement centers among them – will rise from 35 to 50 percent as of a week from Friday. March 19.

He also said that outdoor visitation will be permitted at long-term care facilities even if indoor visitation is not yet allowed.

This good news has its limits.

There still will be no bar seating at restaurants.

“I’ve sat at a few bars myself,” said the governor who often jokes about imbibing. “It’s a special kind of ambiance.”

That ambiance will have to wait; Murphy said fully reopening the state must be taken in logical and incremental steps.

In announcing his updates today, the governor found time to take some swipes at the “red” states of Texas and Mississippi, both of which have done away with mask mandates.

That’s not happening in New Jersey. Its mask requirement remains. He said New Jersey will not play politics with COVID-19 unlike some other states.

“Texas and Mississippi come to mind,” Murphy said.

In a more somber moment, the governor commemorated what is now the one-year anniversary of the first COVID death in New Jersey. That was John Brennan of Little Ferry on March 10, 2020.

“The toll of this virus has been staggering,” he said, noting that over the last year, the average, daily death toll in New Jersey has been 65.

In all, the state has seen 21,294 confirmed COVID deaths.

With vaccine supply to New Jersey increasing, Murphy said about 2.6 million doses have been administered. This is both first and second shots.

This prompted a question about the state creating a “vaccine passport,” which presumably would be a card that certifies the holder as being vaccinated for COVID.

The governor and health officials at today’s briefing were non-committal.

It was noted that a passport would eliminate the need of businesses to take the temperature of those entering. On the other hand, there were concerns about a fraudulent document.

You got the feeling no such passports are on the horizon.