Medical staff in protective gear administer a test for COVID-19 at a drive-through testing center in Paramus, N.J., Friday, March 20, 2020. The coronavirus testing center opened Friday in Bergen County which has been the state’s hardest-hit area. Gov. Phil Murphy said only those with symptoms should get in line, and not those whom he called the “worried well,” people who are feeling well but are concerned they could be infected. The facility will have the capacity to conduct 2,500 tests a week, according to the governor. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

New Jersey governor Phil Murphy announced on Thursday that the state would be commandeering masks, ventilators and other vital medical supplies in an effort to keep medical facilities stocked.

BREAKING: Today I’m signing an Executive Order formally authorizing @NJSP Colonel Callahan to commandeer medical supplies and equipment that are necessary for our #COVID19 response. This may run the gamut from N95 masks and other PPE, to ventilators. pic.twitter.com/IKf4tP6xbA

— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) April 2, 2020

In his daily briefing, Murphy said the action was need to ensure healthcare facilities were able to keep up with the rising tide of virus cases.

“While we look forward to these facilities cooperating with us and providing this equipment as needed, this order gives (police) the express authority to requisition it for distribution to our acute care hospitals and other healthcare facilities. And needless to say, they badly need the equipment.”

New Jersey has confirmed a huge spike in COVID-19 related deaths, surging from 182 to 537 in just 24 hours. On Thursday the total confirmed cases across the state stood at 25, 590. The New Jersey Health Department has been tracking numbers, with hotspots appearing in several counties.

If you have COVID-19 related symptoms or want to report virus-related health issues, the New Jersey Health Department asks that you call this number:

| NJ COVID-19 Info Hub | NJ Call 1-(800)-222-1222 or 211, Text NJCOVID to 898211

• Bergen County: 4,099 positive cases (120 deaths)
• Essex County: 2,617 positive cases (99 deaths)
• Hudson County: 2,270 positive cases (44 deaths)
• Union County: 2,010 positive cases (34 deaths)
• Middlesex County: 1,766 positive cases (48 deaths)
• Passaic County: 1,750 positive cases (22 deaths)
• Monmouth County: 1,458 positive cases (38 deaths)
• Ocean County: 1,371 positive cases (38 deaths)
• Morris County: 1,082 positive cases (40 deaths)
• Somerset County: 549 positive cases (17 deaths)
• Mercer County: 386 positive cases (4 deaths)
• Camden County: 343 positive cases (6 deaths)
• Burlington County: 294 positive cases (8 deaths)
• Sussex County: 179 positive cases (7 deaths)
• Gloucester County: 169 positive cases (2 deaths)
• Hunterdon County: 130 positive cases (0 deaths)
• Warren County: 116 positive cases (3 deaths)
• Atlantic County: 50 positive cases (1 deaths)
• Cape May County: 34 positive cases (0 deaths)
• Cumberland County: 31 positive cases (1 deaths)
• Salem County: 20 positive cases (1 deaths)