New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said Sunday that he decided to order people in his state to stay at home because they "needed to be jolted" about the dangers of the coronavirus pandemic, and called for aggressive work, not panic.
"We won World War II not because we panicked," the Democratic governor said on ABC's "This Week." "We were smart. We were aggressive. We worked hard. That's what you're going to need right now."
The biggest needs in New Jersey at this point are personal protective equipment for hospitals and healthcare providers, including masks and gloves, and help for small businesses.
In just New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut, $100 billion in direct cash assistance will be needed for small businesses.
Meanwhile, Americans staying home allows for a "real shot" in keeping the numbers of coronavirus infections down and to "keep the pressure lower than it otherwise would be on our healthcare system," said Murphy. "That will, God willing, save lives, have fewer sick folks."
Saturday, Murphy signed orders to cancel all non-approved gatherings and close non-essential retail business. Last week, all entertainment venues, along with in-person dining at restaurants and bars, as well as schools, were closed last week.
The state borders New York, which has more coronavirus cases than France or South Korea as the number of confirmed infections soared to 15,168, according to new data released by Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Sunday.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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