New Jersey now has at least 742 known coronavirus cases statewide, including nine deaths, as officials announced 312 new positive tests Thursday, a day ahead of the planned opening of the state’s first government-run drive-thru testing center as the outbreak continues to spread.

Gov. Phil Murphy said state officials have been anticipating such a spike because testing has been expanding in the state, and there has been evidence of “at least some community spread."

“We have expected these numbers,” Murphy said during his daily coronavirus briefing in Trenton.

“These numbers, sooner than later, will go into the many thousands," the governor added.

The latest update included four new deaths — a Monmouth County woman in her 70s, an Ocean County man in his 70s, an Essex County man in his 60s, and a Bergen County man in his 30s.

There were two deaths on Wednesday and four on Thursday. Of those, three had underlying health conditions and the circumstances of the other three were under investigation, health officials said.

Family members identified the Monmouth County woman late Wednesday as the mother of two people who have already died of coronavirus.

State Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli said three of the nine deaths in the state have been associated with two longterm care facilities in Hudson and Essex counties. There are six nursing home or assisted living facilities that have positive coronavirus cases, Persichilli said.

“I ordered curtailing admissions to those facilities,” she said. “They must conduct thorough cleaning, not only daily, but during the day.”

The partial county-by-county breakdown of cases includes:

Bergen County: 195

Middlesex County: 64

Essex County: 63

Hudson County: 55

Monmouth County: 43

Passaic County: 38

Ocean County: 33

Union County: 29

Morris County: 26

Somerset County: 21

Mercer County: 20

Burlington County: 14

Camden County: 13

Hunterdon County: 8

Atlantic County: 3

Gloucester County: 3

Warren County : 4

Sussex County: 2

Cape May County: 1

There are at least 118 cases where health officials did not have the county where the person resides. Those cases are under investigation.

There are now coronavirus cases in 19 of 21 counties in New Jersey. A county-by-county list of the cases has not yet been updated on the state’s website.

The 742 cases range in age from 3-year-old to 95-year-old, Persichilli said. The median age is 52 and about half of the cases have required hospitalization.

New Jersey’s first FEMA-supported drive-thru testing site is expected to be operational by Friday at Bergen Community College in Paramus.

The site can collect up to 2,500 specimens a week, state officials said. A second mass testing site should open days later at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel.

New Jersey residents continue to live under new restrictions put in place in reaction to the outbreak.

Earlier this week, Murphy announced the state has closed all schools, movie theaters, casinos, gyms, indoor malls, and amusement centers until further notice. Dining in at restaurants is banned — only takeout and delivery is allowed. And people are strongly encouraged to refrain from non-essential driving between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. each day.

Murphy also announced Thursday he’s ordering businesses like barber shops and salons to close until further notice, starting at 8 p.m.

Meanwhile, Murphy signed an executive order rescheduling a number of upcoming local elections in New Jersey.

The state created a website and a hotline — 1-800-222-1222 — to answer questions and voice concerns about the virus.

On Wednesday, Murphy announced officials have added a second number, NJ 211, to help handle the volume of calls. Simply dial 2-1-1 or text NJCOVID19 to 898-211.

The virus has infected more than 242,000 people and killed more than 9,800 across the globe, according to a running tally by Johns Hopkins University.

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Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewArco or Facebook.

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