On what would have been his mother’s 105th birthday, Governor Phil Murphy reported 3,347 new COVID-19 cases in 24 hours, as he reiterated a dire need in crisis epicenter New Jersey for ventilators.

That brings the statewide positive total to 16,636.

“Sadly, we have lost another 37 New Jerseyans to COVID-19 complications,” Murphy said, referring to the 24 hours since the state’s last supplied statistics.

That brings the statewide number of COVID-19 deaths to 198 total.

“Each one of them a precious life lost,” the governor said. “We are in the fight of our lives, let there be no doubt it.”

New Jersey continues to confront the challenge of communicating the severity of the crisis.

Earlier today, a source in Paterson offered the following as a reflection of that challenge:

“Dammit and people out here are out and about. I get numerous complaints of the streets being packed [with] people people drinking and chilling music blasting from cars.

“Nobody is taking this seriously,” the source added.

Murphy was grim at today’s presentation.

“We are preparing for the eventuality that we are going to need extra hospital beds,” said the governor, who repeatedly emphasized how critical it is for people to abide by the state shutdown.

“The absolute number one weapon at our disposal: stay at home; practice social distancing, period,” Murphy said. “We need you to take the steps… to protect yourself, so you don’t end on any graph.”

Confronting the stark reality of dwindling ventilators, New Jersey will receive 300 ventilators from the feds, the governor reported. But “to be clear this is far, far clear for what we ultimately need,” he said.

“We need more ventilators,” he said.