NEW JERSEY – Governor Phil Murphy ordered new restrictions Monday as the number of COVID-19 cases continue to increase.
New Jersey officials reported 2,075 more coronavirus cases, having six straight days of at least 2,000 new positive tests, giving a total of 256,653 cases since March 4.
Murphy announced that new restrictions will be placed on indoor bars, restaurants and lounges which will include:
- No food or alcohol can be served past 10 p.m. and will not be permitted to do so until 5 a.m. the next day. Outdoor dining, as well as takeout and delivery, may continue after 10 p.m.
- Seating at indoor bars will now be prohibited.
- Bars and restaurants can now sit people closer than six feet apart only if there are barriers in between.
The new curfew also applies for casinos, but gambling can resume past 10 p.m.
“The last thing I want to do or any of us want to do is shut our economy back down and thankfully, we are not at that point. We are taking surgical steps,” Murphy said. “We are acting with more precision-based actions.”
Along with the new bar and restaurant restrictions, the Governor announced restrictions on indoor youth sports. Murphy concluded that all indoor sports from elementary up to high school are to end until further notice.
These new restrictions on indoor dining and indoor youth sports will be in effect as of November 12.
“With these actions, we need to change these mindsets. We have to shake off the pandemic fatigue that I know we all feel, I feel it by the way as well. And we have to get back into the mindset that saw us crush the curve in the spring,” Murphy said.
N.J. Sen. Cory Booker joined Murphy at the recent press conference and discussed how these new restrictions and plans will help towards getting the virus under control.
“Here in New Jersey, cases are on the rise,” Booker said. “We have to show that commitment to work through the fatigue of this virus to make sure we keep each other safe. We have to listen to our health experts and use extreme caution. The greatest act of grace we can give is wearing a mask, or just staying home.”
