Philadelphia passes its coronavirus peak; N.J. may reopen in ‘weeks’ as governor releases plan

New Jersey will reopen under a six-point plan unveiled by Gov. Phil Murphy on Monday, but he did not set a date for when that process will begin, saying the spread of the coronavirus must slow before the state takes further steps. Residents will be under the state’s stay-at-home order — previously set to expire May 7 — until further notice, he said.

Philadelphia has passed the peak of its epidemic, the city health commissioner said, though officials still couldn’t estimate when a reopening might start there. Pennsylvania officials were continuing preparations Monday to determine which other areas of the commonwealth may reopen starting May 8 based on a variety of factors.

But some relief will come on Friday for those pining for outdoor activities: Golf courses, marinas, guided fishing trips, and privately owned campgrounds will be allowed to reopen with social distancing and masking measures, Gov. Tom Wolf announced Monday. The state also issued guidelines allowing health-care facilities to resume elective procedures as long as they have the capacity to do so.

More than seven weeks after the states’ first coronavirus cases, officials in New Jersey and Pennsylvania are looking toward reopening, but caution against any expectations that the easing of shutdowns would mean an unrestrained return to life.

“A plan that is needlessly rushed is a plan that will needlessly fail,” Murphy said.

Pennsylvania reported 42,050 confirmed cases and 1,597 deaths on Monday. A total of 484 deaths had been confirmed in Philadelphia, where Health Commissioner Thomas Farley said there were “signs of hope.”

The city is “now on the downside” of the peak, and the virus’ reproductive rate — the number of other people each coronavirus patient infects — appears to have fallen below one, a critical milestone for controlling the spread.

“It’s a reason for us to continue to do what we’re doing now,” Farley said, urging continued adherence to social distancing measures. “We’re showing that we can win, but the game isn’t over yet, not by a long shot.”

New Jersey’s positive cases climbed to 111,188 and the death toll reached 6,044 on Monday. In North Jersey, the rate of coronavirus infections has begun dropping, while remaining the same in central parts of the state and rising in South Jersey, Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said.

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Under Murphy’s blueprint for reopening, the state must have a 14-day decline in positive cases and hospitalization, at least double its testing capacity, and recruit an “army of personnel” to carry out contact tracing.

The governor predicted the reopening will begin “in a number of weeks,” not months, and said the state could double its testing capacity by the end of May. Rushing recovery efforts, he warned, could result in New Jersey’s returning to lockdown.

“Before we can reopen our parks, or before we allow in-person dining in our restaurants — among any host of other activities — people need to know, first and foremost, that their health will be safeguarded from COVID-19,” Murphy said.

There “is a chance” New Jersey schools will reopen, but Murphy has not yet made a decision, he said Monday.

A panel of economists, business and labor leaders, and health-care experts will advise the governor on how to reopen the economy. Businesses that can more easily maintain social distancing and other protection measures will be first, he said. The state will not be having large events like concerts “any time soon,” he said.

Murphy did say he hoped to see the Jersey Shore “humming throughout the summer,” but cautioned that any reopening this year will be just “some semblance of norm.” He said he did not yet have an answer on whether any beaches could open for Memorial Day.

The plan, which offered little other specifics, requires state officials to have enough facilities available statewide to be able to quarantine people who become infected. Officials also plan to enlist anywhere between 1,300 and 7,000 people to work on contract tracing, following national guidelines that suggest using between 15 and 81 contact tracers for every 100,000 residents.

“I’d also remind folks that these viruses come back,” Murphy said. “It is the nature of the reality.”

Some New Jersey Republicans were swift to condemn his reopening plan.

“Economically, it boils down to this: Appoint a commission to study our problems and go to the Fed and beg for money,” state Republican Chairman Doug Steinhardt said in a statement.

On Monday, Murphy permitted pet groomers and religious supply stores to reopen as essential businesses and allowed car dealerships to offer socially distanced test drives to people picking up cars purchased online or by phone. The executive order also prohibits owners of personal care businesses, such as salons, from serving customers in private residences.

As both states work toward similar reopening benchmarks, Pennsylvania officials are examining various factors in determining which of the state’s more rural areas can reopen starting May 8. The state will consider the situation both by region and by county and make decisions on a case-by-case basis, Levine said.

The health secretary could not estimate when Philadelphia and its suburbs may move to the “yellow” stage of Wolf’s three-color economic reopening plan.

“I know it’ll be challenging in the Southeast,” Levine said. “We don’t know when Philadelphia will be able to go to yellow. We don’t know when the collar counties will. But it’s very important to have hope for the future, and we’ll get there.”

The decision to allow hospitals to begin elective surgeries again — in facilities with enough protective equipment and capacity to protect personnel and respond to a potential surge — was based on the state’s success in flattening the curve of infection and avoiding overwhelmed hospitals.

“We know that many Pennsylvanians have had to delay important procedures and operations,” Levine said, “but it was necessary to ensure health-care systems had enough capacity.”

After a shortage of chemicals, the state’s testing capacity has improved, Levine said, and anyone getting an elective surgery will be tested for the virus. The state has been talking with the federal government and manufacturers about ensuring a “consistent, reliable supply chain so we can continue to expand testing," she said.

Wolf said reopening limited outdoor activities will “help to rebuild our economy and strengthen our mental health.” In addition to the venues permitted to open Friday, campgrounds in state parks can reopen May 14.

On golf courses, no gatherings will be allowed, people can’t share carts, and golfers must keep six feet from each other, according to the governor’s updated guidelines. At marinas, people can take their boats out for personal use, and chartered fishing services can operate with one or two clients. All such operators must follow the state’s guidelines for life-sustaining businesses.

As health officials say expanded testing is needed in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Philadelphia in order to safely reopen, Montgomery County offered a case study: Only a handful of cases had been diagnosed at the county correctional facility a week ago, but after officials tested all 939 inmates and 388 staff members late last week, they found nearly 200 were infected with the virus.

As a result of the testing and contact tracing, 683 inmates who may have been exposed have been quarantined as a precaution, said Montgomery County Commissioners Chair Val Arkoosh, who is also a physician with a public health background.

“This is a tricky virus, and I think particularly in these congregate-care settings, you need to test everybody so that you can properly isolate people and quarantine people,” Arkoosh said. “What we need are hundreds of thousands more rapid tests.”

Staff writers Sean Collins Walsh, Anna Orso, Allison Steele, and Anthony R. Wood contributed to this article.