New Jersey allows restaurants, some business to expand capacity to 50% on Friday
TRENTON - New Jersey allowed restaurants and some businesses to expand their indoor capacity to 50% starting Friday as the Garden State continues to see a manageable decline in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations.
Gyms, amusement parks, barbershops, salons and other personal care businesses can also open at 50% capacity beginning Friday, according to the governor. Businesses not included on Murphy's shortlist are required to maintain 35% indoor capacity.
New Jersey will now allow non-religious indoor gatherings to include up to 25 people. Outdoor gatherings can also be bumped up to 50 people, Murphy said.
"We believe that when all factors are weighed we can make this expansion without leading to undue further stress on our healthcare system," Murphy said.
While New Jersey continues to move "deliberately, responsibly, incrementally" to ease coronavirus-related restrictions, Murphy said mask-wearing and social distancing will continue to be prioritized.
New Jersey on Wednesday announced over 3,800 new positive tests and 31 virus-related deaths. Nearly 3M New Jersey residents have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and over 1M are fully vaccinated.
Murphy has continued to promise that by Memorial Day all adults in New Jersey will have access to a COVID-19 vaccine. This goal is in line with President Biden's benchmark for states to make all adults vaccine eligible by May 1.
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