As coronavirus cases continue to grow, New Jerseyans can expect “more draconian measures” in the coming days and weeks to prevent its spread in the state, Gov. Phil Murphy said Sunday morning.

Murphy said people should look to Hoboken and Teaneck, where curfews and calls by local officials to self-quarantine have been put in place, as examples of what to expect as the numbers of people who test positive for the virus rise.

“(It’s) the notion of keeping population groupings low,” Murphy said on a morning phone call to WBLS to discuss the state’s response.

“We will be looking at more draconian steps,” he added. “These are things that we have to consider.”

That includes the possibility of a statewide curfew, he said.

“The curfew is probably, of the two, is probably the more immediate one under consideration," Murphy said.

He added state officials will “inevitably” shut down all of the state’s public schools.

As of Saturday, 400 of the state’s 600 public school districts had notified the state of planned closures, officials said.

In Teaneck — which has 18 coronavirus cases — Mayor Mohammed Hameeduddin called the town “ground zero” and said its residents should all self-quarantine until further notice.

“When I say stay home, that doesn’t mean go out to lunch with your friends across the street," Hameeduddin told NBC News on Saturday. “That means no play dates, that means your nuclear family stays with your nuclear family. I’m not visiting my sister, I’m not visiting my parents. That is the best way to stop the spread of this.”

In Hoboken, meanwhile, gyms and movie theaters will shut down, and the city’s mayor issued a city-wide daily curfew will in effect from 10 p.m. through 5 a.m. beginning Monday.

According to Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla, all bars and restaurants are no longer allowed to serve food inside the establishments — only takeout is permitted.

“If a bar does not currently offer food, they will no longer be permitted to operate and are no longer permitted to serve alcohol, effective March 15,” Bhalla said in a statement Saturday. “According to (the Office of Emergency Management), any bar or restaurant establishment that currently offers food service will be permitted to conduct food takeout and food delivery service only.”

The elevated steps to combat the virus come as the state announced Saturday at least 69 people tested positive for it and at least two have died.

Another update from the governor on the latest figures is slated for 2 p.m. Sunday.

Meanwhile, the state Department of Corrections is temporarily suspending visits at state prisons and halfway houses for the next 30 days.

And municipal court sessions in New Jersey will be suspended for two weeks to reduce exposure to the virus.

On Thursday, Murphy recommended all public gatherings with 250 people or more be canceled. He said Saturday he has “heard of no blatant violation” of the recommendation so far, but he reserves the right to make it a mandate if needed.

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

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