To access the Herald’s local coronavirus/COVID-19 coverage, click here.
TRENTON – New Jerseyans and visitors will have to wait to sit inside their favorite restaurants to chow down.
In a tweet published during his June 29 COVID-19 press conference, Gov. Phil Murphy announced the plans for indoor dining to resume July 2, at 25% capacity, have been scratched indefinitely.
In a series of tweets following the announcement, the governor explains that spikes in new cases in neighboring states from overcrowded bars and restaurants influenced his decision. The governor also mentioned that bars being overcrowded in New Jersey, along with a lack of mask wearing and social distancing, was another factor.
“The carelessness of one establishment can completely undo the good work of many others,” a tweet from Murphy read. “We will not tolerate outlier bars and restaurants – and, frankly, patrons – who think the rules don’t apply to them. They are the ones who ruin it for everyone else.”
According to a June 29 release, the executive order, No. 158, that paused indoor dining from resuming “prohibits the consumption of food or beverages and smoking in the indoor premises of any retail, recreational, or entertainment business, including casinos, where masks are strictly required.”
