Former Mahwah Mayor Bill Laforet said coronavirus hit him like a ton of bricks and can't even remember the first 10 days in the hospital. NorthJersey.com

New Jersey is one of three stateson track to contain COVID-19, a remarkable turnaround for a state thatonce led the country in per capita deaths, according to the nonprofit Covid Act Now.

The state's progress to "flatten the curve" of patients admitted to hospitals and dying of complications from the disease comes as states around the country that took less stringent containment measures are hitting peaks in deaths and new cases.

Not only are cases steadily decreasing in New Jersey, but the state's COVID preparedness "meets or exceeds international standards," Covid Act Now said. New York and Michigan are the other two states rated by the organizationto be on track to contain the coronavirus.

"The great work millions of you have done so far to crushthe curves has been working and we need to keep at it,"Gov. Phil Murphy, who has been criticized for reopening the state too slowly, said at his briefing Friday.

Healthcare workers at The Actors Fund Home in Englewood were honored with a car caravan thanking them for their service during the coronavirus pandemic from members 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East on June 17, 2020.(Photo: AMY NEWMAN, NORTHJERSEY.COM/ USA TODAY NETWORK)

New Jersey still leads the nation in someareas. It ranks thirdin deaths, with 12,835,and fifth in hospitalizations, Murphy said. But those have dropped off dramatically since the peak in mid-April. Andother key benchmarks show promise for a state thatis among the most densely populated.

The infection rate was 0.82 as of Thursday, which means that foreach COVID-positive person they were on average infecting 0.82 other people. Because of that,the total number of casesis shrinking, according to Covid Act Now.

The positive test rate was 1.8% as of Thursday, suggesting that there has been enough testing to detect most new cases and being able to identify and isolate people without resorting to lockdowns, the organization said.

Covid Act Now is comprised oftechnologists, epidemiologists, health expertsand public policy leaders.

New Jersey is now in the second of three stages of its reopening from widespread business lockdowns and a stay-at-home order that lasted more than two months. Nail and hair salons, barber shops, spasand tattoo parlors will be allowed to open Monday, which Murphy said will be a significant test since those are the first types of businesses where people closely interact with each other.

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"We're going to have to be really, reallycareful, folks, on this one," Murphy said. "Everybody has to approach this with a sense of responsibility, not just for themselves but for the greater community."

Alexandra Altman, a spokeswoman for Murphy, said his "strategic and comprehensive reopening plan" prioritizes public health with policies such as social distancing and masking.

"It is clear that these aggressive efforts, as detailed by Covid Act Nows analysis, have set New Jersey as a national leader in stemming the tide of the virus as we continue to see a decrease in COVID-19 cases, infection rate, and ventilator use," Altman said in an email.

Based on the current trends, New Jersey would see a cumulative 29% of the population infected and 13,000 total deaths in 30 days, Covid Act Now said. It projected those figures to rise to 34% and 14,000, respectively, in the same period if all restrictions were lifted.

Dustin Racioppiis a reporter in the New Jersey Statehouse. For unlimited access to hiswork covering New Jerseysgovernorand political power structure,please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email:racioppi@northjersey.comTwitter:@dracioppi

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NJ hits top ranking in coronavirus analysis, showing positive trends and signs of hope - NorthJersey.com