Phil murphy: 5,542 new covid-19 cases, 51 more dead after indoor holiday gatherings
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy being thanked for 'all he has done' by Jackson Township Mayor Michael Reina.

Phil Murphy: 5,542 new COVID-19 cases, 51 more dead after indoor holiday gatherings

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1 min read
March 10, 2021

TRENTON, NJ – New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy on Monday announced 5,542 new COVID-19 cases and 51 new confirmed deaths, saying those incidents could be linked to residents gathering with each other indoors over the Christmas and New Years holidays.

“We are also announcing 5,042 more positive PCR tests today, as well as another 540. Again, we use the word presumed positive antigen rapid tests for a consolidated cumulative total of 590,165 which breaks down to 532,959 PCR tests and 57,206 antigen tests,” Murphy said.

The positivity rate for all of the 49,724 PCR tests recorded last Thursday, January 7th was 11.32%. The statewide rate of transmission for Monday was  1.09.

“Let’s stop here for a moment. The transmission rate is once again above the benchmark of one, meaning an increasing spread of this virus. Now if we look at our calendars, we note that it is January 11th. We had anticipated, as I said, an increase in positive tests coming out of the holidays and it is safe to say that we are now experiencing that increase. This is likely from indoor gatherings where neither social distancing nor wearing a face mask were adhered to,” Murphy said. This is what we were afraid of,  people letting their guard down over Christmas and New Year’s and spreading the virus among their families and friends. For the next upcoming days, we’re probably going to see the impact of this now.”

The recent increase in positive tests has not yet led to a spike in hospitalizations, Murphy said . As of last night, there were 3,653 total patients being treated in New Jersey hospitals. 3,402 of them were known COVID, 251 were persons under investigation awaiting tests.

“We are announcing, with a heavy heart, an additional 51 confirmed COVID-related deaths today, bringing the cumulative total of confirmed deaths to 17,873. Another 2,059 deaths remained listed as probable,” he added.

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

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