Governor Murphy Shares Baseline Requirements For Indoor Dining, Recreational Facilities, And Gyms
Governor Phil Murphy signed Executive Order No. 157 on Friday (June 26), which implements the reopenings that will take effect on Thursday, July 2.
Specifically, the Order contains several requirements for indoor dining, which can resume on July 2 but will be limited to 25 percent capacity and patrons will be required to order and consume food or beverages while seated.
The Order also contains the baseline requirements for indoor recreational and entertainment businesses, which can open on July 2 at 25 percent capacity, with the exceptions of gyms and fitness centers, movie theaters, performing arts centers, other concert venues, and indoor amusement and water parks.
“As we enter into the latter phases of stage two of our restart, we ask New Jerseyans to continue to answer the call of personal responsibility that has gotten us this far,” said Governor Murphy. “We have been actively working up to this point for weeks and are confident that the health metrics we needed to see are in place.”
The indoor dining requirements include:
- Limit the number of patrons in indoor areas to 25 percent of the food or beverage establishment’s indoor capacity, excluding the food or beverage establishment’s employees;
- Ensure that tables where individuals or groups are seated are six feet apart in all directions from any other table or seat and that individual seats in any shared area that is not reserved for individual groups, such as an indoor bar area, are also six feet apart in all directions from any other table or seat;
- Require patrons to wear face coverings while inside the indoor premises of the food or beverage establishment, except when seated at their table or in their individual seat. This requirement does not apply if the patron has a medical reason for not wearing a face covering or is a child under two years of age;
- Food or beverage establishments with table service may only allow patrons to place orders when seated, and only wait staff may bring food or beverages to seated patrons;
- Patrons may only consume food or beverages while seated (meaning they cannot walk around with their beverages, for example); and
- Abide by all other health and safety standards issued by the Commissioner of the Department of Health, including infection control practices and other sanitization protocols, consistent with her authority under the Emergency Health Powers Act.
Click here for the official statement on reopenings in New Jersey.
