The state of New Jersey will be able to employ more resources to help municipalities respond to the coronavirus outbreak, which has infected 11 people in N.J. and nearly 110,000 people worldwide, now that Gov. Phil Murphy has declared a state of emergency.

"The State of New Jersey is committed to deploying every available resource, across all levels of government, to help respond to the spread of COVID-19 and keep our residents informed,” Gov. Phil Murphy said in a statement.

The law governing a state of emergency — frequently used in anticipation of a snowstorm or hurricane — typically has little direct impact on the state’s residents. Governors use the law to help organize and distribute money, staffing and other resources to communities affected by the event.

An emergency declaration is a required step to receive financial assistance from the federal government.

The declaration puts control in the hands of the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management “to act on behalf of the governor to employ the resources and assets of state, local and private agencies to provide immediate assistance to localities,” according to the state Attorney General Office’s website. “Typically, the New Jersey State Police, National Guard, and departments of Environmental Protection, Transportation and Health are called upon rather quickly to respond to the event, and other departments are added as needed.”

BREAKING: I’m declaring a State of Emergency for New Jersey amid an outbreak of #COVID19.



We’ve been ahead of the curve in terms of our preparations, and this declaration will help keep us there.⁰⁰For more information, visit https://t.co/UyohzX5yGkhttps://t.co/ACoJrkLgJm pic.twitter.com/9gINlZKB1f — Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) March 9, 2020

The governor and the Office of Emergency Management could restrict people’s movements or “may limit access to affected areas due to concerns for public safety but will notify the public of these restrictions,” the website said.

The state’s Price Gouging Law will also go into effect, barring businesses and pharmacies from raising their prices more than 10 percent. Merchants who are accuse of price gouging can be reported to the state Division of Consumer Affairs, officials said.

Local officials could also place restrictions on the sale of goods and services.

The state of emergency does not cover public school districts, which make their own decisions on when to close. Here is a list of school districts that have announced closures or schedule modifications due to coronavirus.

Eleven people have tested positive in New Jersey for the COVID-19, with five announced Monday. Officials also said 24 additional people in the Garden State are under investigation by the state Department of Health.

No coronavirus deaths have been reported in New Jersey.

New Jersey is the ninth state to declare a state of emergency, including New York as of Saturday. The other states are Washington, Florida California, Kentucky, Maryland, Utah and Oregon.

For more information, contact the New Jersey Coronavirus & Poison Center Hotline at 1-800-222-1222 or 1-800-962-1253 if calling from out of state, or go to nj.gov/health.

NJ Advance Media Staff Writer Jeff Goldman contributed to this report.

Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio.