Note: This story was updated to include stats and quotes from NJ Gov. Murphy’s Tuesday afternoon address on the COVID-19 situation …

From the state to the county and local level in New Jersey, the unrelenting “stay home” message in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic is getting more emphatic by the minute.

With New Jersey seeing a total of 18,696 as of Tuesday afternoon having tested positive for the virus, a jump overnight of 2,196 and 265 deaths (up by 69), three in their 30s, NJ Gov. Phil Murphy has continually pleaded with residents to just stay home to save lives and flatten the curve.

Citing the two young men who succumbed to COVID-19, but reaffirming that deaths from the virus tend to still hit the older and compromised community harder, Murphy stressed that the young mens’ deaths bring home the fact that “this is a reality for ALL of us.”

“I cannot be any clearer in my call,” the governor added. “Stay at home before this hits home. Please do your part to flatten this curve … We are not an average state. We are a “We can do the impossible” state. That is New Jersey. “Our job collectively is to stay at home and flatten that curve. If we do our part, we can meaningfully slow the spread and save lives … This is not about you, it’s about us. Now is the time to be selfless, not selfish … The very best thing we can do together is to stay home and to keep our distance from anyone else, even at home. “

NJ Gov. Phil Murphy, Tuesday, Mar. 31, 2020

The governor thanked everyone on the front lines, especially healthcare workers and emergency responders. He particularly pointed to the state’s “unsung heroes … home health aides, sanitation workers, retail employees, teamsters, truck drivers and transit workers. Their dedication means the world and it means that we will emerge from this stronger.”