Sunday, July 13, 2025

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TRENTON – Gov. Phil Murphy May 24 signed Executive Order No. 242, lifting major Covid restrictions and moving forward with the state’s most significant reopening steps to date. 
According to a release, effective May 28, the indoor mask mandate in public spaces will be lifted, as well as the 6-foot social distancing requirement in both indoor and outdoor spaces, the prohibition on dance floors at bars and restaurants, and the prohibition on ordering and eating/drinking while standing at bars and restaurants. Additionally, effective June 4, indoor gathering and capacity limits will be lifted. 
Over the last two weeks, key Covid benchmarks have been achieved across New Jersey, including a dramatic increase in vaccinations, and significant decreases in new Covid cases, hospitalizations, spot positivity rates, and rates of transmission, solidifying the foundation for the state’s sweeping reopening steps. 
Per Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance, individuals who are not fully vaccinated – defined as two weeks after receiving the second shot of a two-dose vaccination (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) or two weeks after receiving a single-dose vaccination (Johnson & Johnson) – are strongly encouraged to continue masking and social distancing.  
“Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, my administration has been guided by science, data, and facts to put New Jersey on the road to recovery with the public health and safety of all New Jerseyans as our highest priority,” stated Murphy. “Together, we have made tremendous progress in crushing this virus, and the last two weeks have shown significant decreases in key areas of our data, including new Covid cases, hospitalizations, spot positivity rates, and rates of transmission. These data points, coupled with a dramatic increase in our vaccination efforts resulting in over 4.7 million New Jerseyans with their first shot, allow us to lift major restrictions and move forward with our most significant reopening steps to date.” 
The following changes will go into effect on Friday, May 28:

The following changes will go into effect Friday, June 4: