New Jersey is still looking for reinforcements in the state’s war against the coronavirus.

Now, foreign doctors in the Garden State are being called upon.

Gov. Phil Murphy announced at his daily press briefing Friday afternoon the state will begin issuing temporary emergency licenses to foreign-licensed doctors. Murphy said that New Jersey is the first state to take this step.

“New Jersey is the first state to begin fully tapping the tremendous wealth of an international knowledge and experience to help us on our own front lines,” Murphy said.

Murphy said it is fitting that New Jersey is first to license foreign physicians to aid in the COVID-19 crisis, given the Garden State’s deep immigrant history.

“This is a state where the immigrant experience is writ-large in our collective history," Murphy said. "This is a state where people from all over the world have come to build a new life and live the American dream.”

Felix Roque, the former mayor of West New York, had been vocal in recent weeks calling on Murphy to license foreign doctors. On Friday, Roque told NJ Advance Media that he was happy to hear the Governor’s announcement.

“I’m extremely happy that our governor is taking the lead throughout the nation to be able to bring those diamonds of international medical physicians and nurses who are presently in this country to work and help the community," Roque said.

Roque added that he has personally helped more than 300 doctors apply to volunteer for the state’s COVID-19 response.

Foreign doctors applying for the temporary license must be currently licensed and in good standing to practice medicine in another country. They must also have practiced medicine for at least five years, not have been out of practice for more than five years, have no disciplinary or criminal histories, and must provide copies of relevant documents to support their application, like their medical license.

Once a foreign doctor has been granted the temporary license, they will only be allowed to provide in-person care at a facility licensed by the New Jersey Department of Health, or at a designated emergency health center.

The temporary licenses are only good for the duration of the COVID-19 emergency.

Murphy also repeated his frequent call for volunteers to help on the frontlines of the public health crisis. The state particularly needs people who are respiratory physicians, as well as physicians, nurses and emergency medical technicians.

“This army can always use reinforcements,” Murphy said in his call for volunteers.

More than 22,000 medical professionals have volunteered so far, Murphy said.

Any medical professional who wants to volunteer can sign up by visiting covid19.nj.gov/volunteer.

The state also needs volunteers who aren’t medical professionals, Murphy said, to help their communities in other ways, like delivering meals for the elderly and to assist in food pantries. People wishing to do so can sign up at covid19.nj.gov/help.

New Jersey has now seen at least 78,467 confirmed cases and 3,840 deaths of COVID-19. Only New York has more cases and deaths among U.S. states.

On Thursday, President Donald Trump unveiled guidelines that governors can take to gradually lifting coronavirus restrictions and reopen the U.S. economy in phases.

Murphy said Friday that while there are promising signs the rate of infection is slowing in New Jersey, the state is isn’t ready to begin reopening. He said, barring the development of a vaccine, the state will need to beef up testing — with help from the federal government — before restrictions can be reduced.

Trump also said New Jersey is unlikely to be one of the early states to open.

“New York, New Jersey are having very tough times,” the president said.

Murphy stresses that cases and deaths continue to rise in New Jersey, and people need to keep practicing social distancing. He also announced Thursday that all schools in the Garden State will remain closed through at least May 15.

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Michael Sol Warren may be reached at mwarren@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MSolDub. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Keith Sargeant may be reached at ksargeant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @KSargeantNJ.

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