NEWARK (1010 WINS) -- Gov. Phil Murphy said Thursday that New Jersey's schools will remain closed until at least May 15 as the state's cases surpassed 75,000.

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"We need to be guided by where the facts on the ground, science, and public health take us," Murphy said. "That means it will not be safe to reopen our schools for at least another four weeks."

The state’s more than 600 school districts have been closed since March 16, with educators teaching remotely, because of the coronavirus outbreak. Neighboring Pennsylvania has closed schools through the rest of the year.

BREAKING: Our public schools will remain closed through at least Friday, May 15th.

We need to be guided by where the facts on the ground, science, and public health take us. That means it will not be safe to reopen our schools for at least another four weeks. — Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) April 16, 2020

Murphy's announcement came shortly after Gov. Andrew Cuomo said New York's "Pause" initiative, all but shutting down the state, would be extended until May 15—something Cuomo described as a "coordinated" effort between the states.

Murphy said another 362 COVID-19 deaths were reported since Wednesday, bringing the statewide death toll to 3,518—more than the number of New Jerseyans lost in World War I, the governor said.

An additional 4,391 positive tests overnight brought the total number of cases in the state to 75,317.

Yesterday we lost another 362 New Jerseyans to #COVID19 related complications.



We’ve now lost 3,518 members of our New Jersey family to this virus.



Social distancing doesn’t seem so much of an inconvenience if it means that we don’t have to keep mourning so many blessed souls. — Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) April 16, 2020

Residents should not to “let their guard down” despite the frustrations of life under COVID-19 shutdowns, lest the numbers of infections and deaths soar, Murphy said.

“We dodged one bullet,” Murphy said, referring to a lower-than-feared need for hospital beds. “My worst nightmare, other than the loss of life ... is that people get sloppy.”

The virus has taken an especially hard toll on the state's nursing homes, with the vast majority reporting at least one case. Police said they found the bodies of 17 people at a nursing home in Sussex County; they described staff as being "overwhelmed" by the outbreak.

Murphy addressed the situation at the Andover Subacute nursing home, saying he was "outraged" that bodies were allowed to pile up. He said state Attorney General Gurbir Grewal would be investigating the high number of deaths at nursing homes in the state.

I am heartbroken by the tragic news that several individuals have lost their lives in a coronavirus outbreak at the Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation Center I and II.



I am outraged that the bodies of the dead were allowed to pile up in a makeshift morgue at the facility. — Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) April 16, 2020

Murphy also announced that the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Financing Authority is suspending all rent increases at 36,000 eligible properties within its portfolio, a move that will help low and moderate-income families impacted by the outbreak.

NEW: The board of @njhousing has unanimously voted to suspend all rent increases at eligible properties within its entire portfolio.



This action specifically benefits thousands of low & moderate-income families who have been among those most-economically impacted by this crisis. pic.twitter.com/wAB0una1e9 — Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) April 16, 2020

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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