New Jersey on Thursday reported 38 confirmed COVID-19 deaths and 1,931 confirmed cases as hospitalizations continue to plummet and are down about 80% from a recent peak last month. The state’s seven-day average for confirmed positive coronavirus tests dropped Friday to 1,658, down 16% from a week ago and 89% from a month ago as the recent surge driven by the omicron variant continues to decline. As of Friday, New Jersey has reported 1,226 confirmed deaths in February, with deaths tending to follow weeks or a month after a spike in cases. Gov. Phil Murphy announced Wednesday a new initiative to…