After a month of severe restrictions on residents and businesses, the state’s top health official said Friday she’s “cautiously optimistic” New Jersey is seeing a “flattening” of the coronavirus outbreak that has ravaged the state.

State Health Commissioner Judith Persichili even said the northern part of the state may have already seen the peak of hospitalizations from COVID-19.

But the central and southern regions of the state have yet to see their peaks, Persichilli said.

“As we look at the hospitalizations, we are seeing some flattening," she said during the state’s daily coronavirus press briefing in Trenton. “We separate out the state into north, central and south, and we actually are seeing the transmission of the disease moving down the state.”

“In the north, we have seen the peak," Persichilli added. "We have not seen it in central and south. And it’s coming.”

Officials did not go into detail about statistics that might back this claim, and it remains unclear if — given New Jersey’s limited testing — anyone can say with confidence if any part of the state has reached a peak.

Persichilli stressed "we expect to still be very busy” through April and and until around May 12, though she emphasized the prediction “changes every day.”

“We’re cautiously optimistic and hopefully optimistic that we’re leveling off, but we still expect it to be pretty high,” she added.

Gov. Phil Murphy said the peak is difficult to determine.

“I would define the peak as not a day in time, but as in a period of time,” Murphy said. “And it feels like we’re still in the thick of it."

New Jersey continues to have the second most cases and deaths of COVID-19 among U.S. states, after neighboring New York. On Friday, officials said New Jersey has seen at least 78,467 confirmed cases, including at least 3,840 deaths. The state reported another 3,250 positive tests and 323 fatalities in the last 24 hours.

On Tuesday, Persichilli said the state was expecting its peak number of hospitalizations from the virus to hit April 25, with 15,922 people projected to be hospitalized with COVID-19 or under investigation for it. Of those, 3,821 were projected to be in critical care, with 3,503 on ventilators.

As of of 10 p.m. Thursday, 8,011 residents were hospitalized in New Jersey either with the virus or under investigation for it, officials said. Of those, 1,961 were in critical care and 1,594 on ventilators.

And between 10 p.m. Wednesday and 10 p.m. Thursday, 787 residents with the virus or under investigation were discharged from New Jersey hospitals.

Persichilli has said officials have been working to greatly expand the number of hospital beds in New Jersey, including using reopened hospital space, field hospitals, hotels, and college dormitories.

The new numbers come a day after President Donald Trump just unveiled guidelines that governors can take to lift restrictions and reopen their states as the country struggles with countless business closings and record unemployment because of the lockdowns.

But Trump said it will be up to governors to make the call and admitted that New Jersey and New York will not reopen soon.

Murphy confirmed Friday that “we’re not there yet." The governor said cases in New Jersey need to keep dropping and there needs to be broader testing — with help from the federal government — before the state can begin to gradually remove restrictions.

“April is gonna be our toughest period, assuming we keep doing what we’re doing,” the governor said. “May will be somewhat better — we just don’t know how much better. … And then we’re hoping that we can have the healthcare infrastructure in place and we can begin to responsibly open things up in the warm months.”

Meanwhile, protests have begun popping up in parts of the country, with citizens saying lockdowns have gone on too long and infringe upon their constitutional rights.

As New Jersey officials held the briefing Friday, a number of protestors walked through the streets of Trenton — without face masks — calling on Murphy to end his orders.

A quarter-mile from where ⁦@GovMurphy⁩ and health commissioner told reporters that social distancing was working, this maskless, open-Jersey demo popped up. Peak has yet to hit Central/South. Movement using these hashtags: #ReopenNewJersey #ReopenAmerica pic.twitter.com/plkdjDeoEr — Elise Young (@EliseOnDeadline) April 17, 2020

But Murphy insisted that while the lockdowns appear to be helping slow the rate of infection in the state, cases and deaths are still rising and residents need to keep staying at home and practicing social distancing.

“Let’s remember while we’re talking about really good progress and signs of really good daylight … it’s within our hands to either keep it that way, or — please God, don’t do this — let our guard down,” the governor said. “We’re still in the war.”

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Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01.

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