The deserted Terminal hall of Newark Liberty International Airport on April 21, 2020, in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Johannes EISELE / AFP) (Photo by JOHANNES EISELE/AFP via Getty Images)
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Much of the $1.8 billion earmarked for New Jersey under recent federal COVID-19 relief legislation is likely “unusable” and could have to be returned to the U.S. Treasury, Gov. Phil Murphy said Thursday.
The Treasury Department guidance said the funding could be used only for coronavirus-related expenses. Murphy said the state needs greater flexibility and also called for more direct cash payments from the federal government.
It's unclear how much the state has spent on COVID-19 response.
The Democratic governor also said the state's positive coronavirus cases approached 100,000, with 307 more deaths since Wednesday pushing the state's death toll above 5,300.
A look at developments:
___
BY THE NUMBERS
The curve continues to be “significantly flat,” Murphy said. Positive cases approached 100,000, with more than 4,000 added overnight. The death toll reached 5,368.
More than 7,000 patients were hospitalized as of Thursday, including about 800 newly hospitalized over the previous 24 hours, and 750 more had been discharged during that period.
The time it takes the number of cases to double continues to climb across the hard-hit northern part of the state, which Murphy called a positive sign.
___
NEW TESTING
A new COVID-19 test developed by Rutgers University that uses saliva instead of a nose or throat swab is being rolled out in the state's five developmental centers, Murphy said.
The test requires spitting into a cup instead of a health care worker donning personal protective equipment, or PPE, to insert a swab into a person's nose and throat. That means the new test is less invasive and also requires less PPE to administer, according to officials.
The state's developmental centers are home to residents with developmental disabilities.
All 5,500 residents and staff are expected to undergo the new test, Murphy said.
___
JOBLESS CLAIMS CLIMB
New Jersey has paid about $1 billion in unemployment benefits since the COVID-19 outbreak began in March, the Labor Department said Thursday.
The payments went to some 556,000 residents, up 560% over last year, according to the department.
The latest unemployment claims are for the week that ended Saturday and show about 140,000 new requests have been submitted. That roughly mirrors the 141,000 from the week before.
The state paid about $600 million in jobless benefits from March through April 17 and nearly $400 million in supplemental payments in just the last two weeks, the department said.
New Jersey's unemployment trust fund had about $3 billion in it, according to a 2019 report to lawmakers from the department.
The state's fiscal year ends Sept. 30 now, pushed later from June 30 because of the outbreak.
Gov. Phil Murphy has said the state's finances are expected to drop significantly.
___
ABOUT THE VIRUS
For most people, the virus causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up in a couple of weeks. Older adults and people with existing health problems are at higher risk of more severe illness, including pneumonia, or death.