Gov. Murphy May Allow Small Businesses To Reopen Amid Coronavirus

NEW JERSEY – Gov. Phil Murphy is starting to indicate that small businesses could be among the first – or the very first – to fully reopen their doors in New Jersey amid the coronavirus outbreak.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, Murphy said non-essential small businesses that are currently not able to open "are on our list that we are looking at very carefully."

"If we can do that responsibly, you can assume that's on the list of things we want to do," Murphy said.

Murphy said he's gotten some "very highly responsible inputs including a really compelling case from a mayor," whom he didn't identify, about reopening small businesses.

Murphy said said indoor activity is "complicated" to manage, but with proper social distancing, it's "something we hope we can get sooner than later."

The update comes as the number of cases continues to rise in New Jersey. Read more: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

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