COVID Bills Signed Into Law As NJ Death Toll Hits 7-Month High

NEW JERSEY – Gov. Murphy signed more coronavirus bills into law as New Jersey hit a seven-month two-day high in fatalities on Tuesday and Wednesday. Murphy addressed the latest on the crisis during his coronavirus news conference on Wednesday, saying he's also allowing winter sports to resume (you can watch it here, below).

Murphy's office announced on Wednesday that he's signed at least three bills into law to help businesses and schools recover amid the coronavirus. He took these actions as New Jersey reported 127 deaths on Tuesday and 99 on Wednesday – the highest two-day number since May 29th and 30th (see the bills below).

Read more: 6 New NJ Laws That May Impact Your Life In 2021

Murphy suggested that New Jersey is perhaps starting to feel the impact of social gatherings held during the holiday season. He noted that hospitalization and percent positivity rates are also hovering around their highest levels since the spring, hitting more than 3,700 and 15 percent, respectively

"In 10 months, this virus has cut a deep scar," Murphy said. "The scale of infection and death is not anything we could have imagined."

Murphy also noted that December was New Jersey's deadliest month amid the pandemic, saying that New Jersey's testing in long-term-care facilities is up "dramatically" but "we continue to suffer from a lack of a national strategy" with testing and vaccines.

Given the steps he's taken amid the rise in numbers, Murphy asked the public to keep fighting, saying: "We have fought this virus together. We have battled through the pandemic and we're battling through pandemic fatigue together."

"We can't consider ourselves done with the virus because the virus is not done with us," he said.

Murphy also said he will allow indoor sports to resume on Saturday, saying the state will watch for outbreaks while also work to preserve the winter youth sports seasons. He said interstate sports will remain prohibited. Read more: Murphy: Indoor Winter Sports Can Resume Saturday Amid Pandemic

The bill, A-4589, will temporarily increase the period in which a holder of a summer seasonal retail consumption license can sell alcoholic beverages. It will be extended to Jan. 14, 2022.

Under current law, a seasonal consumption license holder is allowed to sell alcoholic beverages for consumption on licensed premises. However, they can only sell beverages during the summer or winter season from May 1 through November 14.

The bill's sponsors, Assembly Democrats Yvonne Lopez, Joseph Danielsen, and Roy Freiman, issued the following statement on the bill:

“COVID-19 has restricted bars and restaurants from serving the amount of clientele they are used to on the premises due to social distancing protocols. Extending summer seasonal retail consumption licenses for business owners can enable them to recover any income lost during the pandemic.

"Businesses, small and large, have seen a substantial loss of revenue due to the pandemic. We must continue to do all we can to support the business community.”

Aiming to ensure school districts and the Department of Education are able to focus their time and resources on addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, Murphy also signed into law a bill (A-4975) to postpone the New Jersey Quality Single Accountability Continuum reviews scheduled for the 2020-2021 school year in districts that were designated as high performing districts.

Each school district in the state is required periodically to undergo a comprehensive review by the state Department of Education under the NJQSAC. Districts are reviewed on a staggered schedule. However, that schedule has been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, lawmakers say.

Postponed reviews would be rescheduled for three years after the review was originally scheduled to take place.

The measure’s sponsors, Assembly Democrats Nicholas Chiaravalloti, D-Hudson, and Ralph Caputo, D-Essex, released the following joint statement:

“We are proud in New Jersey to be counted among the best schools in the nation. We regularly evaluate our schools to ensure they are meeting rigorous standards for delivering high-quality education, and keep track of the progress in our districts. The COVID-19 pandemic has understandably complicated this process."

Murphy also signed legislation enabling New Jersey’s largest health insurer to take advantage of innovations and medical advances for its members while still retaining its charitable mission, lawmakers say.

The law allows Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey to form a not-for-profit mutual holding company that can make critical investments while still insuring members under a health insurance subsidiary.

If reorganized, Horizon BCBS would continue to be under the supervision of the Department of Banking and Insurance, with expansive oversight by the state Attorney General.

Here are the bills Murphy has signed into law:

• A-4589/S-2597 (Lopez, Danielsen, Freiman, DeAngelo/Gopal, Vitale) – Extends time period during which seasonal retail consumption license holders may sell alcoholic beverages following COVID-19 pandemic
• S-3046 wGR/A-4875 (Ruiz, Pou/Pintor Marin, Wimberly, Sumter) – Extends certain document submission deadlines for Urban Transit Hub Tax Credit program and Economic Redevelopment and Growth Grant Program
• S-3225/A-5081 (Sweeney, Oroho/Freiman, Reynolds-Jackson, Taliaferro) – Appropriates $11.5 million from constitutionally dedicated CBT revenues to State Agriculture Development Committee for municipal planning incentive grants for farmland preservation purposes
• S-3226/A-5077 (Addiego, Bateman/Armato, Jasey, Houghtaling) – Appropriates $29,886,172 to State Agriculture Development Committee for farmland preservation purposes
• S-3228/A-5079 (Gopal/Taliaferro, Murphy, Houghtaling) – Appropriates $12 million from constitutionally dedicated CBT revenues to State Agriculture Development Committee for county planning incentive grants for farmland preservation purposes
• ACS for A-4907/SCS for S-3089 (Wimberly, Reynolds-Jackson, Tucker, Giblin/Cryan, Turner, Sweeney) – Makes supplemental appropriation of $58,000,000 for NJ Statewide Body Worn Camera Program
• A-4975/S-3187 (Chiaravalloti, Caputo/Pou, Turner) – Provides for postponement of New Jersey Quality Single Accountability Continuum review for certain school districts
• A-5080/S-3227 (Zwicker, Verrelli, Downey/Bateman, Codey) – Appropriates $3,763,625 from constitutionally dedicated CBT revenues to State Agriculture Development Committee for grants to certain nonprofit organizations for farmland preservation purposes
• A-5119/S-3218 (McKeon, Downey, Clifton, Wimberly/Pou, Sarlo, Sweeney) – Provides for reorganization of health service corporation

Watch Murphy here:

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