NEW JERSEY – Gov. Phil Murphy said that malls can open on June 29, with regulations.
During his daily press conference on the coronavirus pandemic, Murphy said that the interior of malls can open, but only 50 percent of their capacity are allowed inside.
Like other reopening procedures, masks and social distancing is still required. Restaurants can provide take-out or outdoor dining.
Indoor entertainment, such as theaters and arcades will remain closed, however. So will common areas like food courts.
Mall owners will be tasked to create a customer flow plan to minimize places where people wind up getting too close. He suggested making certain doorways ‘enter only’ or ‘exit only.’ Sanitation materials must be made available to employees and customers, ideally near doorways.
“Malls are part of New Jersey culture and lore,” Murphy said. The community wants these businesses to open up safely and successfully.
This is another step in the gradual reopening of the state. The shutdown was intended to slow the spread of COVID-19, and state officials said this was successful.
Critics of the shutdown said that the closure was overreaching, and that the reopening isn’t going quickly enough.
Proponents of the shutdown have said that this was necessary to prevent more deaths. The success in the shutdown, they said, is that so any people stayed healthy so they thought it was unnecessary.
Other recent businesses that are opening soon include:
On June 22, libraries that can do curbside pick-up can re-open, as well as beauty salons and barber shops. Cosmetology shops, day and medical spas can re-open, but not not steam rooms, saunas or shared bathing facilities.
Also able to reopen on June 22 are electrology facilities, hair-braiding shops, massage parlors, nail salons, tanning salons and tattoo parlors.
The governor said he’d be announcing guidelines on how these businesses can operate but some of the requirements include pre-screening and temperature checks, staff/client pairs must be six feet apart unless there are physical barriers and appointment only service only.
On June 15, daycare, indoor retail and outdoor dining was allowed.
The governor has credited the public’s cooperation with social distancing and business shutdowns as the reason for the state’s flattening of the curve and the declining number of COVID-19 cases.
The governor added, that if the downward trend of cases reverses, then restrictions might be enforced again.
-Bob Vosseller contributed to this story
