With a thunderstorm watch in effect for much of the state, Governor Phil Murphy at the War Memorial in Trenton relayed bad news concerning the COVID-19 crisis: 3,643 new positive cases, bringing the statewide total to 92,387; and 379 deaths processed in 24 hours, bringing the COVID-19 death total to 4,753.

“These are not numbers, these are human beings,’ said Murphy.

Three-hundred and seventy-nine (379) is the highest 24-hour death total in New Jersey since the beginning of the scourge.

Murphy tried to emphasize the positive.

“We continue to see a trend emerging, and I say emerging, in the leveling of the rate of new cases,” the governor said. “We have a signfiicant, there’s no question about it, flattening of the curve. But that is not enough to go back to business as usual. Not by a long shot. We need to begin to see this curve finally start its decline. We need to keep our strong social distancing and policies in place for at least the next several weeks.”

Overnight numbers from thosptial reveal the following, said Murphy:

7,594 residents hospitalized

1,930 requiring critical or intensive care

1,501 ventilators in use

72 patients in field medical stattions

Discharged patients?

Six-hundred and thirty (630).

“The number of patients in critical or intensive care and the number of people on ventilators has been relatively stable,” said Murphy. “Certainly we want these numbers to decrease we’re but not seeing any significant increases, which is a good thing.”