In an effort to stop rising cases of the pandemic, New Jersey Governor, Phil Murphy has announced the implementation of new coronavirus restrictions.
The new order, which takes effect later this week, establishes that bars and restaurants must halt indoor dining from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. “A second wave is here,” Murphy said. “This is our reality.”
NEW: We’re taking action to stop the spread of #COVID19.
Effective Thursday, November 12th:
☑️No indoor dining between 10:00 PM – 5:00 AM at restaurants, bars, clubs, and lounges
☑️Outdoor dining, takeout, and delivery services may continue past 10:00 PM— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) November 9, 2020
Outdoor dining and take-out services can continue past 10 p.m. Concerning casinos, they must also stop food and drink services at 10 p.m., but gambling activities can go on.
Murphy said he’ll announce more details of the new coronavirus restrictions at his coronavirus briefing this afternoon in Trenton. They will come as New Jersey deals with a second wave of the virus and another 5,250 cases of coronavirus were reported over the weekend.
“We’ll take some steps later today but they won’t come close to what we were doing in the spring. This is not a lockdown,” Murphy said Monday morning. Instead, he said, “we’re going to shave at the edges.”
You can read: Phil Murphy: Second wave of COVID-19 “coming in now”
The new coronavirus restrictions will also include a ban on sitting at indoor bars and ending indoor interstate sports, according to NJ Advance Media, citing an unnamed administration official.
During the hours they are permitted to be open, bars and restaurants will still be subject to indoor dining restrictions limiting capacity to 25%.
He said the new coronavirus restrictions establish restaurants may place tables closer than 6 feet if the tables are separated by barriers. “Individual fully-enclosed dining bubbles may be set-up for outside use,” Murphy said.
New coronavirus restrictions in sports
The restrictions also include youth sports team playing teams from out of state.”Starting this Thursday, all interstate games and tournaments for indoor youth sports , up to and including high school –,are prohibited,” Murphy said. “It is simply not safe for teams to be crossing state lines at this time to participate in indoor competitions.”
The new restrictions come as the coronavirus rate of infection and the number of cases climbs higher in New Jersey and across the country. Murphy urged people to wear masks and practice socially distancing amid ongoing pandemic “fatigue.
According to Murphy, the new coronavirus restrictions are justified for the threat it represents to citizens. “We remain in the midst of a global pandemic,” Murphy said. “Our country is recording more than 100,000 cases per day. We have to snap back into reality – this virus hasn’t gone away, and it is posing its greatest threat to us in months.”