There are at least 890 cases of coronavirus in New Jersey as of Thursday afternoon, according to state officials.

That number, from the New Jersey Department of Health, represents a 19.94% increase over the day prior and now includes eleven deaths. The numbers did not seem to catch state officials off-guard, as they say a spike was expected as testing has expanded throughout the state.

“These numbers, sooner or later," said Gov. Phil Murphy, “will go into the many thousands.”

Of the six most recent deaths, three had underlying health conditions while the other three remain under investigation.

The rate at which the infection has spread mirrors other parts of the country and world: a slow buildup followed by swift growth, which appears to be the phase we’ve entered now.

Bergen County leads the state — as it has from the outbreak’s outset — with 195 cases. Just across the Hudson, New York City has become one of the national epicenters of the outbreak.

Three counties saw their first cases announced by the state on Thursday, though local authorities reported some sooner: Cape May, Sussex and Warren. Ocean and Passaic each saw their number of positive tests more than double between Wednesday and Thursday.

Many around the state are ramping up measures to fight the spread of the virus. A new testing site opened in Warren County on Wednesday, which had 113 appointments scheduled for its first two days open. Gov. Murphy promised to “aggressively enforce” the ban on large gatherings after two Orthodox weddings in Lakewood had to be broken up by police on Tuesday. A hospital in Jersey City will be screening ER patients for COVID-19 on their way in the door.

Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether it’s a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share.

Nick Devlin is a reporter on the data & investigations team. He can be reached at ndevlin@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @nickdevlin.

Disha Raychaudhuri may be reached at disha@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @Disha_RC.