Indoor dining in New Jersey can resume in early July with capacity limits after restaurants were forced to shutter their businesses in mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Phil Murphy announced Monday morning.
Restaurants will be required to limit indoor capacity to 25% when they reopen on July 2 and other rules will be announced “within the next several days,” the governor said. The step comes after restaurants were permitted to reopen with outdoor dining that began on June 15 after about three months of only serving takeout.
The announcement was made at the same time Murphy said casinos can also reopen on July 2, also at 25% capacity.
CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Newsletter | Homepage
New Jersey is in the second week of “Stage 2″ of the governor’s plans to reopen the state amid the pandemic. Last week, nonessential businesses were allowed to reopen at 50% capacity.
In addition to allowing outdoor dining, barbershops and beauty salons can again serve customers, youth sports are allowed to resume and private swim clubs and municipal pools can open for the summer beginning Monday.
Outdoor gatherings may also be increased Monday from 100 to 250 people as long as people who don’t reside in the same household keep at least 6 feet apart. Protests and religious gatherings are exempt.
Murphy said Stage 3 could come within weeks, not months, if the state’s outbreak continues to slow.
The governor has not outlined specific benchmarks the state has reached as he gradually lifts his lockdown restrictions. Instead, he has pointed to an overall drop in the number of new cases, deaths, and hospitalizations, as well as a steady decrease in the virus’ rate of reproduction.
The death toll from the coronavirus in New Jersey increased to 12,870 known fatalities Sunday with 169,142 total cases in the more than three months since the outbreak began.
Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.
Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here.