Gov. Murphy Reopens More NJ Business, Activities Amid Coronavirus

NEW JERSEY – Gov. Phil Murphy, speaking during a Monday press conference, reopened more businesses and activities on Monday, and he provided more details on what's needed to restart New Jersey's economy "with markers." (you can watch it here, below).

The update comes as the number of new cases rose by 1,735 to an overall total of 148,039, and 83 more people died, raising that total to 10,435. Read more: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

Murphy said the following businesses and activities will be allowed to resume at 6 a.m. on Friday:

• Batting cages and golf ranges, with foursomes – not just pairings – now allowed to tee-off
• Shooting and archery ranges
• Horseback riding
• Private tennis clubs and community gardens

State officials also said the owners of a New Jersey gym, who reopened Monday in defiance of his stay-at-home orders, were issued a summons and the customers were given a warning. Read more: NJ Police Chief Tells Gym It Is In Violation, 'Have A Good Day'

Murphy said he took these actions because of the daily declining new cases and the implementation of robust testing and contact tracing that will help mitigate future cases.

"We have begun to reopen our economy to focus on industry and activities where socially distancing can be most readily maintained and public health and safety can be most readily protected," Murphy said.

Murphy said it's time to "chip away at the blanket stay-at-home reality" just as retail businesses reopened to curbside pickup on Monday. Read more: Gov. Murphy: 'Hard Dates' For NJ Coronavirus Reopening (UPDATE)

Murphy said that New Jersey is also working on a reopening plan with markers and stages, saying that New Jersey is currently in "stage one." He wants to move to stage two, which would possibly lead to restaurants reopening and "limited personal care."

Here is his new "road back" plan:

Murphy’s approach includes the following stages:

Stage 1: Restrictions relaxed on low-risk activities if appropriately safeguarded. New Jersey is currently in this stage.

Phased-in businesses may include:

• Non-essential, but easiest to safeguard, work activities at physical locations if they meet safeguarding and modification guidelines. For example, non-essential construction with protections.
• Some non-essential retail may open with significant modifications. For example, curbside pickup.
• All workers who can work from home continue to work from home even if their industry is reopening. For example, an office manager for a construction company.

Phased-in activities include state and county parks, non-essential construction, curbside retail, drive-in activities, beaches and elective surgeries.

Stage 2: Restrictions are relaxed on additional activities that can be easily safeguarded.

Phased-in businesses may include:

• More work activities are allowed at physical locations only if they adhere to safeguarding and modification guidelines. For example, work activities to be phased-in over the course of Stage 2 may include expanded retail, safeguarded restaurants with outdoor seating, limited personal care, and possibly indoor dining, museums, and libraries, all with significantly reduced capacity.
• All workers who can work from home continue to work from home. For example, a buying manager for restaurants.
• Some personal care services may be provided on a limited basis.

Stage 3: Restrictions are relaxed on most activities with significant safeguarding.

Phased-in businesses include:

• More work activities, including in-person meetings, are allowed at physical locations only if they can adhere to safeguarding guidelines and modifications. For example, work activities to be phased-in over the course of Stage 3 may include expanded dining, critical in-office work, limited entertainment, expanded personal care, and bars with limited capacity.
• All workers who can work from home continue to work from home. For example, accounting office workers.
• Personal care services may be provided on a more extended basis.

Precautions that apply across all stages include:

• Work that can be done from home should continue to be done from home.
• Clinically high-risk individuals who can stay at home should continue to do so.
• All residents and businesses should follow state and federal safeguarding guidelines:
  • Wash hands
  • Wear masks in public
  • Respect social distancing
  • Minimize gatherings
  • Disinfect workplace and businesses
  • Minimize gatherings
  • No mass gatherings

New Jersey will move toward subsequent stages based on data that demonstrates improvements in public health and the capacity to safeguard the public, including:

• Sustained improvements in public health indicators, including new COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, individuals in intensive care, and ventilator use.
• Substantial increase in testing and contact tracing capacity.
• Sufficient resilience in New Jersey’s health care system to include adequate bed capacity, ventilators, personal protective equipment, and workforce.
• Widespread safeguarding of workplaces.
• Widespread safeguarding and capacity of child care, schools, and transit.
• Continued public compliance.

If public health indicators, safeguarding, or compliance worsen on a sustained basis, New Jersey will be prepared to move back to more restrictive stages as well.

Murphy said that while large gatherings "won't be happening anytime soon," New Jersey is working on safeguarding workplaces and safeguarding child care and schools so that the state can operate under a "new normal."

Murphy said he soon plans to provide more guidance on:

• Pool openings, and whether the public can use them
• Reopening daycare
• Public tennis courts, noting that "we're looking at that. That's something we are monitoring along with a few other steps."

Murphy, who just allowed beaches to reopen, said New Jersey "reserve the right to put the breaks on and reverse the car if we think we've got unintended particular bad health consequences from the steps we've taken."

Murphy showed graphs that indicated the declining number of hospitalizations and deaths:

This is a developing story. Patch will have more information as it comes in.

Watch Murphy here:

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