At his press briefing this afternoon, Governor Murphy announced that he will sign an Executive Order allowing some outdoor businesses to restart, including batting cages and golf ranges, shooting and archery ranges, horseback riding, private tennis clubs, and community gardens, and golfers may now play in foursomes.
The Governor also discussed his three-phase plan for reopening New Jersey’s economy. Phase One, the phase we are currently in, relaxed restriction on low-risk activities if properly safeguarded. This phase loosened restrictions on many outdoor activities and permitted the resumption of elective surgeries. Phase Two will loosen safeguards on a number of additional activities that can be easily safeguarded including expanded retail, outdoor dining, indoor dining at significantly reduced capacity, limited personal care, and the potential opening of libraries and museums. Phase Three allows for most activities to resume with significant safeguarding including expanded dining, critical in-office work, limited entertainment, expanded personal care, and bars with limited capacity.
The Governor made clear that social distancing, use of masks, and work from home orders continue to remain in place. The Governor did not provide a timetable for entering into Stages Two and Three but in answer to a question indicated that Phase Two is likely “a few weeks away assuming we continue to make meaningful progress.”
