(Camden, NJ) – As part of his restart and recovery plan, “The Road Back: Restoring Economic Health Through Public Health,” Governor Phil Murphy announced yesterday that New Jersey will enter Stage Two on June 15, 2020.
Guided by strict protocols from the New Jersey Department of Health, as well as input from the Governor’s Restart and Recovery Commission and complementary Advisory Councils, Stage Two will include outdoor dining for restaurants and indoor, non-essential retail as of June 15. Beginning on June 22, barber shops and salons will be able to reopen.
In the period to follow, New Jersey will work toward the gradual opening of personal care, gyms, and health clubs, at reduced capacities as the stage progresses. All of these activities will be allowed pursuant to strict health and safety guidelines that will be issued in the coming days. New Jersey ended maximum restrictions and moved to Stage One on May 18, 2020.
“This is welcome news for thousands of Camden County residents and business owners who have endured months of shutdowns and restrictions that have been necessary to stem the spread of coronavirus,” said Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli, Jr. “As the governor stated when making this announcement, we must continue to pair this period of gradual reopening with social distancing, good hand hygiene, and mask wearing to ensure that we stay on the road to recovery. We cannot mistake progress for victory, we still have a long fight ahead of us to save lives and rid ourselves of COVID-19.”
STAGE 2:
Restrictions are relaxed on activities that can be easily safeguarded.
Phased-in businesses and activities, with adherence to safeguarding and modification guidelines, include:
- Outdoor dining (beginning on June 15th)
- Limited in-person retail (beginning on June 15th)
- Hair salons and barber shops (beginning on June 22nd)
- Youth summer programs (beginning on July 6th)
- In-person clinical research/labs
- Limited fitness/gyms
- Limited in-person government services (e.g. – Motor Vehicle Commission)
- Museums/libraries
All workers who can work from home should continue to work from home. Precautions that apply across all stages include:
- Clinically high-risk individuals who can stay at home should continue to do so.
- All residents and businesses should follow state and federal safeguarding guidelines:
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- Wash hands
- Wear masks in public
- Respect social distancing
- Minimize gatherings
- Disinfect workplace and businesses
- Minimize gatherings
- No mass gatherings
New Jersey will move toward subsequent stages based on data that demonstrates improvements in public health and the capacity to safeguard the public, including:
- Sustained improvements in public health indicators, including new COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, individuals in intensive care, and ventilator use;
- Substantial increase in testing and contact tracing capacity;
- Sufficient resilience in New Jersey’s health care system to include adequate bed capacity, ventilators, personal protective equipment, and workforce;
- Widespread safeguarding of workplaces;
- Widespread safeguarding and capacity of child care, schools, and mass transit;
- Continued public compliance.
If public health indicators, safeguarding, or compliance worsen on a sustained basis, New Jersey will be prepared to move back to more restrictive stages as well.
For a one-page summary of Governor Murphy’s multi-stage approach to restart New Jersey’s economy, click here.