Bridgewater Commons To Reopen Monday With Social Distancing Rules

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — The Bridgewater Commons mall will reopen Monday while following the state's guidelines for restarting amid the coronavirus, a spokeswoman with the mall announced. It will be open Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Gov. Phil Murphy announced on June 18 that indoor shopping malls can reopen as of Monday. The mall had been closed since March due to Murphy's executive order closing indoor shopping malls to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

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Here are some of the state's guidelines that malls such as the Bridgewater Commons will have to follow when reopening:

• Restaurants within the interior of a retail shopping mall are restricted to offering takeout, delivery services, and outdoor dining. This will most likely change on July 2 when indoor dining will be allowed to resume.
• Retail kiosks located within malls must ensure that customers remain six feet apart at all times.
• All areas with communal seating shall be removed or cordoned off. Isolated seats or benches available for individual use may be accessible, in order to provide customers with a place to rest.
• Indoor shopping mall operators should evaluate floor plans and establish policies to minimize congestion points and maintain social distancing, such as a customer flow plan with floor markings or separate entrance and exit points.
• Mall employees and mall operators must require infection control practices, provide employees break time for handwashing, and provide sanitization materials, among other requirements.
• Mall employees and customers must wear face coverings while on the premises, except where doing so would inhibit that individual's health or where the individual is under two years of age.
• If a customer refuses to wear a cloth face covering for non-medical reasons and if such covering cannot be provided to the individual by the mall at the point of entry, then the mall must decline entry to the individual.
• Valet parking, vending machines, stroller rentals, and any type of communal play area will be closed.
• Businesses inside the mall, such as entertainment and recreational businesses including gyms, fitness centers, movie theaters, amusement parks, water parks, and arcades, shall remain closed until July 2 when Murphy announced they can reopen.

The Bridgewater Commons is located off Commons Way in Bridgewater.

Read more: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

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