Manasquan Mayor: 'Torn' About Reopening Of Indoor Dining

MANASQUAN – Manasquan Mayor Ed Donovan said he's "torn" about Gov. Phil Murphy's plan to reopen indoor dining amid the coronavirus crisis.

Donovan said the virus "isn’t going away without sacrifice" but "there are a number of factors that have to be considered including the economic and mental health impacts of six months of quarantine."

"If the schools (virtual petri dishes) are allowed to open, I guess the reasonable move is to open indoor activities with restrictions," he said.

Donovan said he hopes the monitoring agencies will be able to keep track of what’s happening, and "things can be pulled back in time if this experiment is a total failure."

"I know this probably sounds a little non-comital, but this situation has severely negative impacts no matter the course we take moving forward," he said.

Read more: Gov. Murphy: NJ Indoor Dining To Resume Amid Coronavirus Crisis

Earlier in the summer, Manasquan created a pedestrian zone on Wednesday and Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m. for dining and retail establishments.

Main Street will be closed to traffic from Route 71 to Broad Street on Wednesday and Thursday each week until Sept. 17 to help the establishments get back on their feet.

But the borough is telling people: Do not park in the Acme parking lot.

While waiting to get a seat for dinner, officials say, shop the stores that are open. But also don't forget the west side, by the South Street parking lot.

Although they are outside the street closings, those businesses are still participating in this event, officials said.