Here's How To Shop At NJ Malls Starting Monday Amid Coronavirus

NEW JERSEY – No more food courts – at least not for a while. And if you want to shop, you'll have to wear a mask.

The mall experience that's become so familiar to millions of New Jerseyans is very different now that they reopened at 6 a.m. on Monday.

The one thing Gov. Phil Murphy doesn't want – but it's something that's all too common in malls: Large groups of people congregating, hanging out, moving from store-to-store.

And in many cases, they're not even shopping.

Here are some of the main requirements:

• All mall customers will be required to wear face coverings.
• Stores must limit capacity to 50 percent.
• Restaurants with outside entrances and indoors can be open for outdoor dining and pickup and delivery.
• Common areas such as food courts must remain closed or otherwise cordoned off.
• Movie theaters and arcades must remain closed at this time.
• Specific floor plans to eliminate congestion must be developed.
• Retail kiosks located within malls may operate, and must ensure that customers remain 6 feet apart at all times.
• Isolated seats or benches available for individual use may be accessible in order to provide customers with a place to rest.
• Mall operators must require infection control practices, provide employees break time for hand-washing and provide sanitization materials, among other requirements.
• Employees and customers must wear face coverings while on the premises, except where doing so would inhibit that individual’s health or where the individual is under 2 years of age.
• If a customer refuses to wear a cloth face covering for non-medical reasons and if such covering cannot be provided to the individual by the mall at the point of entry, then the mall must decline entry to the person.

The following services or areas shall be closed at all indoor shopping malls:

• Valet parking
• Vending machines
• Stroller rentals
• Any type of communal play area.

Restaurants, cafeterias, dining establishments, food courts and bars were set to reopen to indoor dining on Thursday, but under capacity restrictions. However, Murphy announced on Monday that they will not reopen, and their restart dates have been delayed indefinitely. Read more: Read more: Gov. Murphy Postpones NJ Indoor Dining Reopen Amid Coronavirus

Amusement parks and arcades are set to reopen on Thursday. Read more: Gov. Murphy: 'Hard Dates' In NJ Coronavirus Reopening Blueprint

“Malls are an undeniable part of New Jersey culture, and we want these businesses to get back up and running in a safe, responsible manner,” said Murphy. “To keep our restart moving in the right direction, we ask New Jerseyans who wish to head out to the mall or any public setting to do so safely.”

New Jersey's list of requirements is long , but malls must follow them or they could be cited for not following the governor's executive order.

Indoor shopping malls must also adopt policies that include, at minimum, the following requirements:

• Install a physical barrier, such as a shield guard, between customers and employees wherever feasible or otherwise ensure 6 feet of distance between those individuals, except at the moment of payment and/or exchange of goods;
• Require infection control practices, such as regular hand-washing, coughing and sneezing etiquette, and proper tissue usage and disposal;
• Provide employees break time for repeated hand-washing throughout the workday;
• Provide sanitization materials, such as hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes, to employees and customers, particularly at mall entrances;
• Require frequent sanitization of high-touch areas like restrooms, ATM machines, counters, door handles, and elevator buttons;
• Place conspicuous signage at entrances and throughout the mall, if applicable, alerting staff and customers to the required 6 feet of physical distance;
• Require employees and customers to wear cloth face coverings while on the premises, except where doing so would inhibit that individual’s health or where the individual is under 2 years of age;
• Require employees to wear gloves when in contact with customers or goods. Malls must provide, at their expense, such face coverings and gloves for their employees.
• If a customer refuses to wear a cloth face covering for nonmedical reasons and if such covering cannot be provided to the person by the mall, then the mall must decline entry.