Monmouth Republican Lawmaker Blasts Murphy On Gyms, Indoor Dining

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — On Monday, state Senator Declan O’Scanlon, a Republican who represents Monmouth County in Trenton, criticized the Murphy administration for continuing to keep gyms and indoor dining closed.

O'Scanlon cited numerous metrics from surrounding states’ successful reopening.

O'Scanlon looked at six Northeastern states and pointed out that states like Connecticut and Maryland have been able to reopen indoor dining and gyms without sustained COVID surges, and with much better economic performance.

“New Jersey has the highest unemployment rate of the states we compared, and is projected to have the highest revenue decline by next year," said O'Scanlon. "We are also the only state of this group without some percentage of indoor dining — and yet our rate of transmission is higher than states that are open. Keeping businesses like restaurants and gyms locked down isn’t doing anything other than decimating our economy. We simply cannot continue on this unnecessary path.”

Gov. Murphy hinted last week that he may be allowing gyms to reopen soon; Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Monday that indoor gyms in New York state will be allowed to reopen as soon as Aug. 24 and no later than Sept. 2. Here are the rules: People have to wear masks at all times in New York gyms, and gyms are limited to one third of their capacity. New Jersey gyms would likely follow similar rules.

O'Scanlon particularly took issue with Murphy's announcement on Aug. 11 that he will continue to keep indoor dining closed, citing a study that showed how COVID spread in January at a restaurant in southern China.

“That the governor, with a straight face, can cite a debunked study of an incident that happened over 8,000 miles away involving a restaurant in China with a wheezy, inadequate ventilation system that doesn’t conform to standards used in this country," said O'Scanlon. "To justify continuing to kill businesses here in New Jersey is outrageous and demoralizing."

Since 2011, O'Scanlon has represented towns such as Aberdeen, Hazlet, Holmdel, Atlantic Highlands and Highlands, Middletown, Marlboro, Rumson and others in the 13th legislative district in Trenton.

O'Scanlon said Murphy's decisions are hurting New Jersey economically, especially compared to our Northeast neighboring states that have reopened more than Jersey.

New Jersey’s unemployment rate is 16.6 percent, according to the July Dept. of Labor report. New Jersey is also projected to have an 18 percent revenue decline and has as a rate of transmission of 1.1. Alternatively, Connecticut, which has been open at 50 percent capacity for indoor dining and gyms for months, had a 9.8 percent unemployment rate, a projected 11 percent revenue decline for FY21, and a .91 rate of transmission.

"On virtually every economic metric we are underperforming our Northeast neighbors, dramatically on many fronts," said O'Scanlon. ""The Governor’s quotes last week such as that he’s 'trying to piece together what indoor dining could look like, what gyms could look like' are particularly distressing. If there is any – slight – benefit to our needlessly dragging our feet on these fronts it’s that we don’t need to wait for the Governor’s secretive brain trust to reinvent the wheel — just do what these other states have done! And do it now before we do any more harm.”

New Jersey's unemployment rate at 16.6 percent is:

• 28% higher than PA (unemployment rate of 13%)
• 34% higher than RI (unemployment rate of 12.4%)
• 41% higher than NH (unemployment rate of 11.8)
• 69% higher than CT (unemployment rate of 9.8%)
• 107% higher than MD (unemployment rate of 8%)