Outdoor Dining In Cinnaminson Extended Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

CINNAMINSON, NJ — On a day in which the state announced that restaurants could continue to serve liquor outside, Cinnaminson Township extended outdoor dining for another 180 days.

Township Committee unanimously approved the proposed ordinance extending outdoor dining at its meeting Monday night.

In July, the committee approved a proposal that allowed restaurants and bars in the township to serve food and drink outside for 120 days. Read more here: Cinnaminson Gives Final Approval To Outdoor Dining Plan

With that ordinance set to expire in October, Township Committee introduced a proposal to extend outdoor dining last month for the longest possible amount of time. The public hearing and final vote took place Monday. Read more here: Outdoor Dining In Cinnaminson May Be Extended Amid Pandemic

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There may be another vote down the line, as the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control announced it is extending special outdoor liquor license permits for outdoor dining through the end of March for a $10 fee on Monday.

"For many of our residents, the ability to serve liquor to their customers beyond their normal premises has been meaningful and in some cases, life-saving for them and helped them survive during these challenging times," Murphy said. "We are wargaming potential steps we can take whether it's indoor or outdoor or both to try to relieve some of this burden without adding to our already rising numbers. We don't have any evidence that indoor dining is contributing to (a spike New Jersey is seeing)."

That call came after New Jersey saw its second straight day with more than 1,000 new coronavirus cases, and the third such day overall this month. It’s the first time there have been any days in which new cases exceeded 1,000 in one day since just after Memorial Day. Read more here: NJ Tops 1K COVID-19 Cases Again But No Reopening Reversal

As of Monday, 338 coronavirus cases had been identified in Cinnaminson since the start of the pandemic. Twenty-eight Cinnaminson residents have died after testing positive for the coronavirus, according to numbers provided by Burlington County.

Countywide, there have been 8,483 cases with 483 confirmed deaths and 54 probable deaths. Trace investigations continue in all new cases.

On Monday night, Cinnaminson Township Committeeman Paul Conda said they had hoped to have the municipal building reopen soon, but it’s unlikely with the latest spike in cases.

“We continue to evaluate the situation daily,” Conda said. “The safety of the public and our employees is our priority.”