New Jersey is starting to see a fall surge of the new coronavirus, with new diagnoses rising to more than 1,000 per day.

Monday, NJ Gov. Phil Murphy said the state reported 1,192 new cases. That follows another 1,000-plus diagnoses reported Sunday.

The last time new cases were consistently that high was in May.

"While these numbers are a far cry from where we were at our springtime peaks, they are also significantly higher than where we were throughout much of the summer and until just a few weeks ago," Murphy said at a Monday press conference.

He added that small private gatherings seemed to be fueling the increase.

"Many of the new cases we are tracking came not from our schools and businesses, or many other activities, but from private gatherings inside private homes.

"Especially as the cooler weather pulls more of us inside we have to remain extra vigilant," he said.

Five counties had more than 100 new cases reported, Murphy said Monday, with Ocean County reporting the most new cases.

Hospitalizations in the state are ticking up too, though the remain far below the levels seen in the first wave of the pandemic. On Monday, Murphy said, 758 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 or its symptoms.

The news comes as many states in the country, including neighboring Pennsylvania, warn of a "fall surge" in coronavirus that has led Murphy and health officials to urge families to stay home and not have family visit during Thanksgiving.