A day after Gov. Phil Murphy blasted New Jersey residents not abiding by his coronavirus outbreak stay-at-home order by saying he’s “really damned unhappy" about violators, the state’s top law enforcement officer declared “the time for warning is over.”

“Consider this as your final warning,” state Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said Monday at a coronavirus briefing in Trenton. “There will be serious legal consequences.”

Grewal’s warning went out to all non-essential retail businesses that have not closed as well as places like bars and restaurants that defy orders to ban in-person dining. The warning also goes for people who may want to throw a house party, Grewal said.

“Stop,” he said bluntly. “Let me be clear that violating these orders is a criminal offense."

People who violate the orders could be charged from a disorderly person offense or second, third or fourth-degree crime, he said.

Grewal added that state officials continue to monitor that stores are not price gouging during the outbreak.

“There is a special place in hell for people who take advantage of this health crisis,” Murphy said. “There sure is heck no time for it in the war that we’re under.”

"There is a special place in hell for people who take advantage of this health crisis," @GovMurphy says about anybody price gouging during #coronavirus outbreak. — Matt Arco (@MatthewArco) March 23, 2020

The warning was made as Murphy announced New Jersey now has at least 2,844 known coronavirus cases with 27 deaths as officials announced Monday 935 new positive tests on the same day the second state-run testing site opened in Monmouth County and quickly hit capacity due to overwhelming demand.

The governor also said people should expect New Jersey schools to be closed for an “extended period of time” as the state continues to respond to the pandemic.

On Saturday, Murphy announced he’s putting New Jersey into near-lockdown mode to combat the spread of the coronavirus, ordering nearly all of the state’s 9 million residents to stay at home and mandating that non-essential retail businesses be closed until further notice.

Last week, Murphy ”strongly“ suggested that people refrain from non-essential travel between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. Now, he said, that’s a 24-hour order to keep off the roads.

A few people are excepted: health-care workers, law enforcement, emergency responders, members of the media, some federal officials, people who assist low-income residents (such as food bank workers), and those who need to get to work at businesses allowed to remain open.

Otherwise, people can leave the house only for essential needs (such groceries, food, or medicine), to visit family and close friends, or to seek medical attention. You can also go outside for walks or exercise.

But Grewal stressed people should not be having parties or gatherings even though people are allowed to visit friends. The caveat is meant to help provide family and friends with assistance.

People who host parties or large gatherings face criminal charges, Grewal said.

Murphy warned residents Sunday they should expect a law enforcement crackdown for those ignoring the near lockdown on the state.

“There’s too many people not paying attention to this. We’ve about had it. We’re not happy," Murphy said during a conference call Sunday to update the state on the latest cases.

Under Murphy’s order, social gatherings of any size are banned in the state. People are not allowed to gather in groups and should practice social distancing.

Those exempted from the stay-at-home order include health-care workers, law enforcement, emergency responders, members of the media, some federal officials, people who assist low-income residents (such as food bank workers), and those who need to get to work at businesses allowed to remain open.

Otherwise, people can leave the house only for essential needs (such as groceries, food, or medicine), to visit family and close friends, or to seek medical attention. You can also go outside for walks or exercise. But in all circumstances, Murphy said people should practice social distancing.

Murphy took the dramatic step Saturday of signing executive orders shutting down non-essential retail businesses, canceling social gatherings, and instructing people to “quite simply stay at home."

The non-essential retail business shutdown took effect Saturday night. The list of essential businesses that are allowed to keep operating is, according to the state website:

Manufacturing, industrial, logistics, ports, heavy construction, shipping, food production, food delivery, and other commercial operations; and medical facilities where a sick or injured person is given care or treatment, such as doctor’s offices, hospitals, dentist offices, long-term care facilities and other medical offices.

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NJ Advance Media staff writer Brent Johnson contributed to this report.

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

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