Coronavirus patients at N.J. hospitals down by half since peak with steady declines of 1,000 a week

New Jersey’s hospitals reported fewer than 4,000 coronavirus patients for the first time in six weeks, down by half since the state hit a peak in mid-April for a key number Gov. Phil Murphy has said will influence his reopening timeline.

The state’s 71 hospitals had 3,958 patients with confirmed or suspected coronavirus cases as of Wednesday night, according to state data. That’s the lowest number since the state began publicly tracking hospitalizations on April 4 and follows four straight weekly declines averaging more than 1,000 patients.The state hit a peak height with 8,084 hospitalizations o…