This week in New Jersey in the time of COVID-19

New Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy said this week he’s reducing the limit on indoor gatherings to 25 percent percent capacity, with a cap of 25 people down from 100.

Too many indoor house parties have led to trends creeping in the wrong direction. “The actions of a few knuckleheads leave us no choice,’’ he said.

The rate of transmission, which indicates the number of people an infected person spreads the virus to, has climbed from 0.87 a month ago to 1.48 on Monday.

Murphy also reported there were 266 new positive cases added overnight, putting the total at about 183,000. There were 10 new deaths, for a death toll of 13,971.

The governor also said that face coverings will be required at all times for all students in the coming school year. That’s a change from before, when the state Education Department was strongly recommending face coverings for students.

The development comes as records obtained by The Associated Press show the state’s expenses to respond the coronavirus crisis have nearly tripled since May, climbing from $197 million to $573 million.

The 204-page spreadsheet obtained through the state’s public records law shows $573 million in expenses through July 19. As in May, the lion’s share of costs stems from the state’s Law and Public Safety Department, which houses the state police.

The expenses are a growing fraction of the state’s nearly $40 billion budget and come as the state is seeing a dropoff in tax revenue, with 16.6 percent unemployment rate.

It’s not clear how the state will pay for the unplanned expenses, but New Jersey got about $2.4 billion in federal funds through the CARES Act, and Murphy has already petitioned the Democrat-led Legislature to use $600 million of that funding to finance state operations.

New Jersey is in the second of three reopening phases, but Murphy warned last week that virus trends are heading in the wrong direction and setting off alarm bells.

Airbnb shutters party houses in NJ amid COVID-19 clusters

Airbnb said it is cracking down on party houses throughout New Jersey, suspending or removing altogether 35 listings, after state health officials warned house parties led to clusters of COVID-19 outbreaks.

“We ban party houses and will not tolerate irresponsible behavior on our platform,” Airbnb executive Chris Lehane said in a statement. “We know that there is still more work to be done, we ask that neighbors contact us as soon as possible through our Neighborhood Support Hotline, to directly communicate any concerns.’”

Airbnb did not disclose the addresses of the 35 locations, but indicated they’re across the state.

The crackdown comes just days after Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy and Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli reported that large gatherings, particularly of younger people, across the state were leading to positive coronavirus tests.

Virus takes toll on New Jersey highway revenues

The coronavirus pandemic’s far-reaching effects on New Jersey’s finances have begun taking a toll on the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway.

The New Jersey Turnpike Authority, which oversees both roadways, posted the latest financial data for the first half of the year recently, painting a bleak picture: Traffic on the Turnpike was down 30 percent through June, with revenues down 27 percent; for the Parkway, toll transactions fell 26 percent, and revenue was down about 27 percent.

“Traffic and toll revenue decreased entirely due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic,” the authority’s financial statement said.

Despite the downturn, the authority and transportation experts sounded an optimistic note about the remainder of the year.

That’s because the authority’s expenses so far this year are $53 million below budget, and snow removal, salary, benefits and toll processing are also under budget, authority spokesperson Tom Feeney said. The authority also refinanced debt, resulting in savings from debt service payments of about $180 million.

“Not only have they minimized the hit, they prepared for the future,” said Anthony Attanasio, a former assistant transportation commissioner who now runs a consulting firm.

Attanasio alluded to toll hikes approved earlier this year and signed off on by Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy.

The tolls were earmarked for a $24 billion capital plan, including $16 billion to widen sections of the Turnpike and Parkway, permanently implement cashless toll payment and replace a bridge between New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

The authority has said tolls would rise by 36 percent on the New Jersey Turnpike, meaning the average trip which now costs $3.50 would rise to $4.80. Tolls on the Garden State Parkway would rise by 27 percent on the Garden State Parkway, meaning the average trip which now costs $1.11 would increase by 30 cents.

Opponents of the hikes were outraged because meetings to vet the tolls would normally have been held in person but were done over video instead because of the pandemic. It looked as if they were being approved while the public was distracted, the opponents said.

But now that the state’s economy has shed more than 1 million jobs, with unemployment at more than 16 percent, the timing of higher tolls rates is even more dire, some opponents say.

The financial downturn facing the Turnpike Authority hasn’t changed the calculus for the hike’s opponents.

- The Associated Press