Gov. Phil Murphy announced restrictions in New Jersey that will reduce the outdoor gathering limit from 150 to 25, starting next Monday. Youth and high school indoor sports will be put on hold from Friday through at least January 2. However, indoor collegiate and professional sports will be allowed to continue.
BREAKING: We are RETIGHTENING the limit on outdoor gatherings to 25 individuals – effective 6:00 AM on December 7th.
Only exceptions:
☑️Religious or political activities
☑️Funerals
☑️Memorial services
☑️Wedding ceremoniesOutdoor dining is UNAFFECTED by this announcement. pic.twitter.com/fh0m9laRXC
— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) November 30, 2020
“As you start to make your holiday plans, please recognize that the gathering limits are back to what they were in May and June – when we all came together and crushed the curve as much as any state in the nation,” Murphy said. “Keep gatherings as small as possible.”
NEW: All indoor youth and adult sports are being placed on a full pause – effective 6:00 AM on December 5th through January 2nd, 2021.
We’re seeing outbreaks related to indoor sports, and this will help slow the spread.
Only exceptions: collegiate-level and professional teams.
— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) November 30, 2020
The restrictions come as New Jersey has recorded 334,114 coronavirus infections since the start of the pandemic. There have been 15,149 lab-confirmed fatalities and another 1,829 probable deaths.
You can read: New Jersey issues new travel advisory for Thanksgiving out-of-state travelers
The high school indoor sports ban appears to most directly affect the NJSIAA ice hockey season. High school hockey practice was scheduled to start on December 14, followed by competition on January.
On Monday, Governor Murphy reported that the state had 3,199 new positive cases for a total of 337,304 cases. There were 15 new confirmed deaths for a total of 15,164 since the pandemic began.
Restrictions to mitigate surge
Murphy also stated his concerns for hospitals across the state. “Maintaining the stability of our health care system and ensuring the ability of our frontline medical workers to treat patients starts with implementing restrictions that will keep people from becoming a hospital patient,” he said.
The resurgence of cases in Newark is also part of the context in which these restrictions will be applied. A 10-day stay-at-home advisory took effect last Wednesday, with city leaders hoping to curb rising COVID-19 cases.
The resurgence of the virus in New Jersey has been amplified in its largest city, and particularly in the Ironbound, the heart of the city’s Spanish and Portuguese communities and the epicenter of Newark’s nightlife.
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