N.J. reports 145 COVID deaths, 8,467 cases as Murphy announces new vaccine requirements [Video]

New Jersey on Wednesday reported another 145 confirmed COVID-19 deaths and 8,467 confirmed positive tests as Gov. Phil Murphy announced that workers at health care, long-term care, and other residential facilities in the state would be required to be vaccinated and boosted against the coronavirus with no more option for weekly testing in the coming months.

This comes as the state’s fifth wave in the pandemic, driven by the omicron variant, continues to show signs of receding in the Garden State.

The state’s seven-day average for new confirmed positive tests dropped Wednesday to 13,644, down 47% from a week ago but still up 169% from a month ago, when the recent spike driven by the omicron variant was escalating. Wednesday marked the fifth straight day that the average has been below 20,000 after peaking at 27,914 on Jan. 10.

“It is thankfully lower than what we’ve been seeing earlier this month,” Murphy said during a public event in Galloway.

But, he cautioned, “it is still up …