NJ Moving Toward Stage 2 Of Reopening: Here's What That Means

NEW JERSEY - Although Gov. Phil Murphy has been slowly lifting his COVID-19 restrictions over the last several weeks, the Garden State is still in Stage 1 one of the economic restart. But that may soon change.

“We continue to see many positive signs that we can keep moving forward,” Murphy said during his Tuesday COVID-19 briefing. “We’re moving closer to being able to enter Phase 2 of our economic restart.”

NJ Coronavirus Updates: Don't miss local and statewide announcements about new coronavirus precautions. Sign up for Patch alerts and daily newsletters.

New Jersey is currently in Stage 1 of multi-stage plan which has allowed some non-essential, but easiest to safeguard, work activities at physical locations if they meet guidelines. Stage 1 also includes phased-in activities that include state and county parks, non-essential construction, curbside retail, drive-in activities, beaches, and elective surgeries.

These joined the already permitted emergency health care, essential construction, manufacturing,
and essential retail.

In Stage 2, more work activities are allowed at physical locations only if they adhere to safeguarding and modification guidelines.

Phased-in businesses may include:

• expanded retail
• restaurants with outdoor seating
• limited personal care
• indoor dining with significantly reduced capacity
• museums with significantly reduced capacity
• libraries with significantly reduced capacity

In Stage 2, all workers who can work from home continue to do so.

Officials said that New Jersey will move toward subsequent stages based on data that demonstrates improvements in public health and the capacity to safeguard the public, including:

• Sustained improvements in public health indicators, including new COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, individuals in intensive care, and ventilator use.
• Substantial increase in testing and contact tracing capacity.
• Sufficient resilience in New Jersey's health care system to include adequate bed capacity, ventilators, personal protective equipment, and workforce.
• Widespread safeguarding of workplaces.
• Widespread safeguarding and capacity of child care, schools, and transit.
• Continued public compliance.

Murphy did not give an indication when the data might allow for the next step.

Thanks for reading! Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site. Have a news tip you'd like to share? Or maybe you have a press release you would like to submit or a correction you'd like to request? Send an email to russ.crespolini@patch.com

Subscribe to your local Patch newsletter. You can also have them delivered to your phone screen by downloading, or by visiting the Google Play store.