Gov. Murphy: Halloween In NJ Can Proceed Amid Coronavirus Crisis

NEW JERSEY – Gov. Phil Murphy on Wednesday said Halloween should proceed as planned in New Jersey amid the coronavirus crisis, but there will be protocols in place to protect against a possible outbreak.

Murphy was responding to a reporter's question that asked if he planned to follow the lead of Los Angeles and ban trick-or-treating, although California officials apparently backed off that order on Wednesday.

Murphy said he hadn't heard about the Los Angeles order but "as of this moment in time, Halloween is still on in New Jersey."

"Obviously it's not going to be a normal Halloween, so we're going to have to do things very carefully," Murphy said.

Murphy said protocols will be in place, such as mask-wearing and social distancing, but the state has not released anything yet.

"God willing, the virus stays under control," Murphy said.

Murphy made the remarks after he announced 356 new coronavirus cases and seven more deaths on Wednesday. Read more: NJ Coronavirus, Reopen Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

Speculation arose that Murphy may take steps because of the Los Angeles decision, and because of the other steps he took this year to shut down New Jersey amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Murphy has extraordinary powers under his emergency coronavirus orders to shut down or regulate public functions, just as Gov. Chris Christie did when he postponed Halloween following Superstorm Sandy in 2012.

However, it's possible that New Jersey's 500-plus towns may be able set their own rules for Halloween, as long as they follow the state's protocols.

Murphy has been releasing "hard dates" and specifics on New Jersey's plans to reopen its economy, schools, daycare, summer camps and public transit during the coronavirus crisis. And he was expected to provide more details over the course of the year. Read more: Gov. Murphy: 'Hard Dates' In NJ Coronavirus Reopening Blueprint

In a separate interview, Murphy told CNN that more lives could have been saved had New Jersey known that President Trump, as he admitted in a book by Bob Woodward, made the decision to play down the virus during the early stages of the outbreak. Read more: Murphy: NJ May Have 'Saved Lives' Had Trump Not Played Down COVID

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