TRENTON – Gov. Phil Murphy said that the numbers of people getting sick and hospitalized from COVID-19 have come down to the point where it makes sense for businesses and gatherings to have a slight increase in people. The eased regulations will take place on March 19.
Businesses can now open to 50% capacity, up from 35%. These include: restaurants, recreation, fitness, gyms, amusements, barber shops, salons and similar personal care shops.
Indoor gatherings are capped at 25 people, up from 10. Outdoor ones are capped at 50, up from 25. These do not count religious and political events.
Murphy thanked all the restaurants that have got creative in having outside tables. With the weather starting to get better, he expects them to thrive in the coming months.
The mandates on social distancing and wearing masks will continue, he said.
“Unlike some states, who prioritize politics over public health,” these rules will still be enforced, he said, noting Texas and Missouri have dropped their mandates.
According to published sources, North Dakota, Iowa, and Montana also dropped mask mandates. Eleven other states never had mask mandates to begin with.
Murphy noted that when states do fully open, a large surge in cases comes next, taxing the state’s medical community and setting back any progress they had made.
He thanked residents who have been doing the right thing, and acting based on facts. “We can only take these steps because of the actions of literally millions of you (who) put us in a better position.”
New Jersey saw a large increase in cases after the winter holidays. This has slowed down to the point where there are fewer than 2,000 people hospitalized with COVID-19, he said on March 10.
The United States currently has one fifth of the total known coronavirus deaths worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University.
