New Jersey officials announced Friday the state has 21 new coronavirus cases, increasing the statewide total to 50 positive tests as the outbreak continues to spread, forcing widespread closures and cancellations.

“We are taking every appropriate step to reduce the spread of coronavirus," Gov. Phil Murphy said Friday during a daily coronavirus briefing in Ewing.

There are 80 cases under investigation at New Jersey’s state lab, said state Health Commissioner Judith Persichelli. New Jersey now has cases in 13 of 21 counties with one death, a 69-year-old man from Bergen County.

“There have been no new deaths of a confirmed case," Persichelli said. “There is one that they are tracking at this time.”

In addition, Murphy said a statewide, long-term shutdown of public schools is “inevitable" and could be announced within days.

Persichelli said she did not have complete information on the 21 new cases prior to the start of the briefing. She provided a county-by-county listing for 17 new cases. They include:

• 2 new in Bergen (now 15 cases total)

• 1 in Burlington (3 total)

• 2 in Essex (3 total)

• 2 in Hudson (4 total)

• 1 in Mercer (first case in county)

• 2 in Middlesex (4 total)

• 3 in Monmouth (8 total)

• 2 in Morris (3 total)

• 1 in Ocean (first case in county)

• 1 in Passaic (2 total)

No new cases were reported in Camden, Somerset or Union counties, which each had 1 previous case.

“We have expected a surge," Persichelli said "We have expected, at this point, more numbers than we have.”

Some of the detailed information on the 21 new cases, however, has been released by local officials. They include:

• A 41-year-old Jersey City woman. This is the first case in Jersey City.

• A Hoboken man in his 40s. Hoboken officials said the man is experiencing mild symptoms and is under self-isolation at home. This is the first case in Hoboken.

• A Morris County resident who works Shalom Yeladim Nursery School in Morristown. The employee’s hometown and other details were not disclosed. This is the second case in Morris County.

• A 49-year-old woman from Princeton who attended the private party her hometown with two individuals from the Boston area who later tested positive for coronavirus. This is the first case involving a Mercer County resident.

“We are exploring any and all avenues to expand access to testing,” Murphy said. “We’re looking at everything, including in-home testing. Dramatically expanding testing access is high on our list of priorities.”

LIVE: State officials hold March 13 coronavirus briefing What should New Jersey know about the coronavirus: Gov. Murphy is giving a live update now. What questions do you have? Posted by NJ.com on Friday, March 13, 2020

On Thursday, Murphy issued a recommendation to cancel any public gatherings of 250 people or more in the state. New Jersey declared a state of emergency Monday to deal with the unfolding outbreak.

The novel coronavirus, which causes the illness COVID-19, has three main symptoms: fever, cough, and shortness of breath. They usually develop 2-14 days after exposure to the virus, the CDC says.

Because of the limited amount of tests available at New Jersey’s state lab, patients must meet certain criteria in order to be tested.

That criteria include showing symptoms of lower respiratory illness, having contact with someone who is known to have the corona virus and travel to an area with a Level 2 travel health warning from the CDC within the last 14 days.

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Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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